The person beneath
by Sylavian
Summary: Irelia joins the league of legends expecting it to be a clean, perfect utopia. But soon after, she learns that not everyone is who they try to be on the outside. Her life soon turns into a series of misfortunes as she attempts to find out what she, and others around her value in life. (Rated M for Violence, mature themes, and possible lemons.) Yuri, IreliaXRiven
1. Arrival

**The person beneath isn't endorsed by Riot Games and doesn't reflect the views or opinions of Riot Games or anyone officially in producing or managing League of Legends. League of legends and Riot games are trademarks or registered trademarks of Riot games, Inc. League of legends© Riot Games, Inc.**

This is my first attempt at writing fan-fiction, so any advise you could offer to me would be greatly appreciated, and I will update this as soon as a brilliant idea crosses my mind. Also, the story is semi OOC and may eventually turn into yuri, but I'm just rolling with whatever ideas come into my mind, so not even I know yet.

The first signs of dawn were merely beginning to show through the almost closed blinds that were customary for the building in which she resided. Irelia propped herself up on one of the pillows that she had been given upon "moving" to the building. She rested her head back against the cold wall and looked around the small room that she had been assigned to. Claiming to only hold the bare necessities of life would have been considered an understatement. She peered around the room, traces of light lingering around the still dark room. But she supposed that it was only for the better. . Across the room she spotted a simple oven, to allow her to sustain herself properly, a fridge in which to store the food she could only assume that she would soon be given, and a handful of plates, bowls and eating utensils. She felt the pain that the small amount of light peering delicately through the windows had been bestowing upon her. She hadn't seen much light over the last three days, as she'd been moved to the building that held most of the champions in the league. She'd been moved in a boat, then a long series of trains to get her to where she was now. The building in which she currently resided was slightly north of the institute of war and slightly east of the howling marsh. She moved her arms around slightly to test her muscle co-ordination. They moved fine, but she could tell that she would need to put in some time in order to get her back to where she felt comfortable inside her own body. She could already tell that the days she had spent without practicing were already begging to take their toll on her. She pulled the two standard issue blankets off of her and swung her legs off of the side of her bed. She was dressed in a nightgown, most likely put on her by the people in charge of shipping her here. She placed her hands on the bed, and let out a deep sigh.

"Welcome to the league of legends" She whispered to herself in a joking manner "where all we do is supply you with a small room with almost nothing in it, and hope you can live on your own".

Wasn't this supposed to be an honor? Wasn't she supposed to be treated like a champion, not a prisoner? She quickly dismissed the thought, and decided that she was just rambling on pointlessly because couldn't remember eating anything over the last three days. The trip was so long that she was administered sleeping gas before her journey had begun to save her the joy of staring at the ceiling of the dark train carts and boats that she had traveled on. She was most likely administered food while she was being shipped around, but they had given her far too much sleeping medicine for any of her memories of the last few days to be any more than several seconds of slurred, inaudible noises or sudden flashes of light followed by the darkness. She pushed down on her arms and lifted herself up; supporting herself on her own two legs. Her floor was a nice carpeted design, with a nice diamond pattern, which she assumed was blue and green, but the lack of light made it difficult to determine what the two colors really were. She slouched her way over to the small kitchen that she had, and opened the fridge. The light shot out, Illuminating the entire room, and nearly blinding her. Realizing the terrible choice she just made, she closed the door of the fridge and walked over to the simple marble counter directly beside it. The marble felt cool to the touch, and looked rather nice from what she could tell. She looked around the floor for anything that she thought would be of use. Near what looked like the door, she saw two small figures in the shadows, in the form of what looked like slippers; she walked over and slipped her feet into them, being sure to walk slowly to avoid straining any of her muscles. After not moving for several days, being sure to not over-use her muscles was her number 1 priority. She didn't want to lose even more time training, seeing as she knew her combat efficiency would be lower than what she wished it to be. Deciding on how to pass the time, she decided to walk back to her bed and see if she could fall back asleep. As she was on her way back to her bed, she heard a knock came across her door, and she wandered back to answer.

"Miss Irelia, have you awoken yet?" came a calm voice from across the door. She took note of the voice, which she interpreted to be that of a man.

"I suppose you could say I'm awake, but not quite up yet, if you get what I mean" she replied sheepishly.

The voice on the other side of the door seemed to break out in a short series of laughs before replying; "You're having one of those mornings huh? It seems to be occurring to most of the new arrivals. Travelling sickness is what we think it is. Your sleeping habits have been thrown out of whack, so your body is just trying to re-adjust. It happens to even the best of us." He replied. "Is everything alright? Do you think you are in need of any medication, or would you rather just get situated yourself?"

"I seem to be alright, although any medication for headaches would be quite helpful right now" She exclaimed. "Also, is there anywhere that I can have a shower? I don't believe that I have bathed for several days now, and I want the other champion's first impressions of me to not be that I take no regard to my personal hygiene."

The voice on the other side of the door stopped for a little bit, and she could hear the rustling of a bag. Perhaps he was getting her some medication or a pamphlet? He replied soon after with "Can I come in?"

She considered the thought for a second, and then decided to open the door. He seemed like a nice person, and she could use all the friendly people and helpful advice she could get right now. The door opened with a flash of light, irritating her still-adjusting eyes. She turned away, and he apologized for letting the light in so bluntly. He quickly realized his mistake and pulled the door behind him, letting it close with the force of the pull, and it fell in to place with a reassuring "thud".

"That was completely my mistake; I should've known that your eyes are still sensitive. But I think that I have some medication to help you out with that too. Oh, and by the way, I'm Nick, and I'll be your situating officer. It's my job to make sure that your transition from your home to the league goes off without a hitch, so that you can get training as soon as you feel you can"

Irelia replied smartly "So you're a doorman, a doctor and a situating officer? You must be an everyman." She replied before letting out a series of quick laughs.

He let out a short laugh before replying "I'm also a lawyer, a pet salesmen and a philanthropist in my spare time."

She looked back at him "Now you're just joking with me, even though I just got up I can still tell that"

"You seem to catch on pretty quickly." He was still rummaging around in the medium sized leather bag that he had in front of him, attached around his shoulder with a long, brown leather strap. The bad itself read "Medication only. Not to be used by anyone without consent from Dr. Stevenson and during the situating process". Shortly after he pulled out two small bottles, both were small, white bottles with a tight screw-on cap. He handed them over to her, giving her some time to read what was on the front. They read "Situating sickness pills" and "social adjustment pills" The label on the first bottle made sense, but the second one seemed strange.

"Umm, what is this?" She barked at the man in front of her. "Why did you give me social adjustment pills? Do you not think that I can get along with society by myself, so I need some medication to get along with people? Is that what this is?" Irelia had now lost her temper. The man seemed to notice the anger that portrayed from her voice, and immediately tried to justify the actions he had just done.

"Well, you see" He begun. "Those are standard issue to everyone who was just transported here. They're not what the label on the front of the bottle leads you to believe. They're pills designed to get your body back into a way that you can perform out in a public environment. Here, I'll even show you." He stepped back several steps, leaving Irelia to think about what he was doing. Then, out of the darkness, several small, circular objects were being thrown at her, with the sole direction being given. Catch. She managed to catch one, and the last four hit her and fell to the ground, each landing with a small "thump" before bouncing several feet in a random direction. Her eyes had adjusted enough to the darkness that she could now begin making out the man's basic form. He stood about 6'1, wearing normal, everyday clothing. The object she held in her hand, along with the four on the floor, she could now determine were apples. She looked up at him and shot him an angry glare, at which he laughed. "I told you" Irelia considered what he just said. She wasn't really ready to go into a public area right now without embarrassing herself. Irelia loosened up. He wasn't here to embarrass her. He was here to help her.

"Ok, you got me" She pronounced jokingly. "Now how long will it take for these pills to take affect?"

"Do you take long showers?" He replied, hoping that for once the words he wanted to get out got out the right way.

"It all depends. Does this place have hot water?"

"Well, that all depends if the person assigned to getting you up and ready likes you. Now I'll give you this. How about I let you have hot water, and we meet up sometime over lunch sometime on me? Sound fair?"

"I've had far worse deals than this. That sounds about fair to me." She replied with a grin. Although right now that was the last thing that she had on her mind. Right now all that she could think about was the warm shower that he had promised her. He told her to take the pills that he gave her, collected the apples off of the floor, and left. She took the pills she was given, in which there were two, stumbled around until she found the light switch, and flicked it on.

The pills seemed to act fast. The bright light that had only minutes ago nearly blinded her now seemed familiar. She then realized that she was still holding the apple that she had caught. She sunk in her teeth and tore out a large chunk. The flavor was soothing to her, being the first thing that she had eaten in days. But the apple wasn't grown here, she could tell that just from the flavor. Apples grown locally were less flavorful than the one she had been given. This one had a taste that stuck around after she had swallowed it, and the taste was pleasant. She could tell that this apple was grown in her home town of Ionia. She despised the apples that were grown locally. They were more for money than for enjoyment. But Ionian apples were grown to please the consumer first, make money second. She could already feel her homesickness sinking in.

She walked into the bathroom, locked the door and placed the apple down on the counter. In the bathroom were a sink, a mirror, and a simple shower. "Enough to get the job done, plain and simple" she thought to herself. She turned the tap and placed her hand in front of the stream of water. She felt the warm water immediately rush across her hand, warming her cold hand with a soft, tingling feeling. She unrobed, and stepped inside. There was not a curtain, but rather a glass door to this shower. The door was enough to stop people from looking in, and these rooms were only meant for one person. She showered herself, made sure to clean herself from head to toe. She sat around in the shower, enjoying the first shower she would've had in days. Eventually, she decided that she needed to get out of the shower, so she stepped outside, being sure not place her foot on the small mat that sat just outside the shower, wrapped herself in a towel from the towel rack, and checked herself in the mirror. She did basic motor checks of her fingers and arms, and once she was satisfied, she grabbed the apple back off the counter, took another bite, and stepped out.

She walked across the room over to the counter and peered outside the blinds just above the sink. The daylight now beamed all over her room and she dozed off, looking at and absorbing the rays of the sun before she finished off her apple, and carefully throwing it several feet beside her into a small garbage can. The apple landed with a proud clunk as it bounced against the side of the garbage can before coming to rest at the bottom. She checked her fridge out, and looked for a real meal to eat. Some form of small vegetable plate caught her eye, and she took it out and placed it on the counter. From the corner of her eye, she noticed a box had appeared on her bed. On it, it was labeled "personal belongings" and below it, her name. She pulled open the small flaps on the box, and inside she found all of her clothes. Some were formal, some were informal. She got herself dressed in some casual clothing, checked to see if there was anything else hidden around her room, and once she was satisfied that there wasn't, she went back over to the counter, took some vegetables off of the tray, closed it and replaced it back where it was originally in the fridge, and walked out of her room.

She found herself in a hallway open on the left, closed on the right. The floor was a wood floor, nice, but not amazing. On the right, spaced exactly, were more doors, presumably to more rooms. On the right was a balcony with a small railing, and below it, was a large green mat outlined with training dummies, punching bags, and a shooting range. She wandered around aimlessly for several minutes, hoping to find something to occupy her time until someone told her what to do. She may have been a general back in her home city of Ionia, but here, she was just another champion. She still had not received her mantle of decorum, or her blade, both of which she cherished dearly. She was soon interrupted on her adventure by a friend from back in Ionia, Karma. Karma had to bump into her before she even noticed her though.

"Are you in a rush to get somewhere Karma? You seem to be in a bit of a hurry." Asked Irelia. "I'm not used to seeing you rushing around."

Karma took several seconds to realize that someone was even talking to her before she replied. She seemed to be too busy staring off down the hallway to even realize that her friend was trying to talk to her.

"Sorry about that Irelia, I think that I'm still suffering from the situating sickness. From what I was told everyone new to the league must meet down in the lobby to attend a ceremony of some sort. I wasn't informed of what though."

"What ceremony? I wasn't told that we had to attend any form of ceremony."

Karma didn't bother to respond to. Instead, she grabbed her by the forearm and pulled her along, returning to the pace she was going before she was interrupted. Soon after, they arrived at the lobby, and saw the rest of the champions gathered around. The lobby was large and elegant, covered in paintings and sculptures, plaques with achievements of past champions, and a temporary podium situated in the middle of the room. The duo rushed down the flight of stairs and mingled into the group of champions. The group was very diverse. Everyone from Luxanna and Garen Crownguard to Singed the mad chemist were among the group. Soon, a tall man rose from a chair situated in the back of the lobby and rose to the pedestal, cleared his throat, and then began to address the group of champions.

"You have all been gathered here today to join the league of legends. You have come from far and wide, from Ionia to the plague jungles to Demacia. The journey must not have been comfortable, but it was necessary for us to gather you all here today. You all must know that twenty years ago, the rune war set runeterra onto a course of disaster. The institute of war has devised a way to prevent another gruesome war from occurring, by creating the league of legends and field of justice. We have gathered you all here today to prepare you for your oncoming battles on the fields of justice. The reason we have gathered you all here instead of allowing you to remain in your homes and cities is simple. We require you to become acquainted with your fellow champions and summoners. This is not a choice; you may not fight in the league of legends by yourself. Victory upon the fields will require trust and teamwork, and these two things are not just granted to everybody. So become friendly with your fellow champions and summoners. You will be with them for a long time, so try not to create too many enemies. From the institute of war, and from all our fellow summoners, we wish you luck, and good results upon the fields." and with that, his body seemingly vanished.

Silence filled the lobby as quickly as the speaker's voice had, and no one spoke. Everyone sat around and let what the speaker had just said sink in. His message was simple. Make friends, not enemies. No one could deny that. But Irelia felt as though the speaker was attempting to hide a deeper meaning. He wouldn't just bring everyone together to make friends. People could communicate and make friends back where they came from. This man was hiding something, but she couldn't point a finger at it. Eventually, the silence was broken by another voice, but this time not coming from a speaker on the pedestal. The voice seemed to come straight from the air surrounding them, a soft, feminine voice.

"We would now like to recommend that all of you who have failed to receive all of the contents that you packed including weapons, armor, or personal valuables that you have not already received to return to your rooms and collect them, as they should have been delivered to you by this point. If, under any circumstance you have not received them by the time you have returned to your room, to contact your situating officer and inform them that you appear to be missing something, and they will find your missing equipment or belonging. And, as a final word, welcome to the league of legends, and we hope you enjoy your stay." The voice cut off, and everyone sat there, wondering what to do next. Quickly, some champions began to walk out, Irelia quickly followed suit.

She returned back to her room, to find that a second box had been placed onto her bed, alongside the box of her valuables. Inside she found her suit of armor, her blade and her mantle of decorum, along with a small restraining device to hold her blade to her back when not in use to avoid stabbing someone unintentionally. She grabbed the new box, walked over to her bathroom, and looked into the mirror, gently placing the mantle onto her head and insuring that it was placed perfectly. She didn't want people to think that she place it on her head without the highest level of honor. She took out the blade, and as she placed a hand on it, it flew up beside her and the four blades extended into an 'X' formation. She gave it a quick smirk and placed the restraining device on the back of her shirt, with some difficulty. She gave a quick telepathic signal to her blade, telling it to place itself onto the device, which it did so obediently. She had been able to control the blade with her mind ever since she was nearly killed in the grand stand of the placidium. Once Soraka had anchored her fading soul, the blade was able to levitate on its own, and she was able to control it just by thinking. She walked out of her bathroom in order to get some more room, and then tested out the device several times, telling the blade to detach and then reattach itself. It would always extend once released, and would return into its docile form of placing the four blades into two lines above and below the orb, before reattaching itself snugly onto her back. After looking herself over one more time in the bathroom mirror to ensure that she appeared presentable to the other summoners and walked to the door.

"And so it begins" she muttered to herself before leaving the room and closing the door behind her.

**In case you're wondering why Irelia's blade didn't murder everyone on on board the train/boat was because they were never far apart. No weapons were aloud in the same sleeping chamber as the champions in case of a crash, so her blade was just placed in a box and kept nearby, and transported along with the rest of the weapons after they had arrived, and after the mandatory check of all weapons. And with champions like Katerina and Talon, you can imagine how long that would've taken. Also, her blade isn't aloud to kill anyone unless its in her control, which is explained in chapter 2. I thought I'd added in that information but it seems it crossed my mind**


	2. Strange circumstances

The door closed reassuringly behind Irelia as she began to make her way to the training arena located just below the railing. She looked around for a nearby staircase, before deciding that the drop itself didn't appear to be too frightening, she placed a hand on the railing and looked down. It was about a ten foot drop, give or take two feet, with what appeared to be a soft, padded floor. Given that she was only at this point wearing the slippers that she had been provided with prior, she reconsidered the drop. Below her, several other champions practiced on the dummies or shooting range and none appeared to be in her way of her jump.

"They probably got all their gear delivered on time, how else would they get her so quickly?" She considered while gingerly convincing herself to jump. Although she would have easily been able to make the jump before being shipped here, she didn't know if her muscles could still hold up. Back in her home city of Ionia, she kept up her training from sunrise to sunset. Her time was spent between meditation, training, sparing with fellow Ionians, or merely enjoying the city that she had valiantly defended. She could hear voices coming from just below her on the foam training pad, bickering and arguing, battle strategies or mere small talk. She finally coaxed herself into making the jump, and put her back to the wall. Keeping her eyes set on the railing, she stepped into her running stance. One leg extended, one leg bent, fingertips on the floor, head up. Several large breaths occupied her lungs before she pushed herself from the wall, running at the railing. As she arrived, she kicked herself up, placed one foot on the railing, before she realized her slipper had lost its footing on the railing, and she flipped awkwardly off the railing instead of straight off, as she had expected. As she fell, she could make out that the shadows weren't facing the right way off of the decorations from the ceiling, interpreted as she was now falling upside down, straight onto her neck. "This would be a way to go huh? The will of the blades, killed due to a slip up caused by a pair of slippers." She managed to give herself a short chuckle before realizing her death was mere seconds away. She tensed her back, hoping to absorb the fall with her spine rather than her skull, at least being able to save her own life. She felt her blade release itself from her back, but it wouldn't have the time to get under her and break her fall. She looked up, or what she thought was up, and saw her legs, still pointed at the railing, missing one slipper. As her fall reached its end, she felt her back hit. The pain launched itself from her back up to her legs, and her will, and ability to move had both been removed from her. Her legs followed shortly after, and she fell numb. But she had survived the fall, and rather unscathed. She looked up and saw the ceiling, and could still make out the small details that the designers had put into making it. She hadn't suffered any brain damage, from what she could tell right now. But something didn't add up. No blunt head trauma, no intense pain, no sudden feeling or warmth that would come from her own blood streaming over her skin, and her heartbeat still couldn't be felt racing out of her chest that would come from shock. The situation in her mind didn't add up. She lifted her head, and looked around. And right next to her, stood a tall, white haired, red eyed woman, staring right at her. The pressure she should've felt in her back was now apparent, but not in the way she expected. Right above her hips and just below her neck began to burn, but not in a painful sort of way. She looked to her right to see two hands, both holding on to her side, attached with a strong grip. Finally, after several seconds, the white haired girl broke the silence.

"Well there, Ionian. Not a good way to start off a training section, almost dying after jumping off of a railing." She spoke with a noxian accent, clearly distinguishable, due to the fact that it was deeper than Ionians or Demacians, and with a less comforting or charming tone. "Want me to put you down or will you slip again?" She said with a crooked grin, although it seemed unintentional.

"I think I should be able to stand on my own, thank you though" Irelia returned, embarrassed by the fact that, not only had she been helped out by a noxian, but she had nearly gotten herself killed before the day had come to a proper beginning. The woman let her down feet first onto the mat, before taking several steps back to insure that Irelia had not damaged anything in the fall. Once she was assured that she was fine, she spoke.

"The name's Riven and that is the only name that I go by. No nicknames, not pet names, just Riven." She pronounced in an aggressive tone, a tone that seemed to be the standard speaking voice for Noxians. Irelia stood up and patted herself down to check for injuries before replying with "Irelia, the will of blades, whatever nickname that you think that you can make out of that, is completely fine with me. Also, thanks for catching me right there. My foot slipped on the railing, and I just kind of fell. Not the entrance I was hoping of making".

"You do understand that this building does include stairs right? They're a great invention; you should really try them out sometime, they let you go from level to level without having to jump ten feet. It's really quite a genius invention when you consider it" she pointed out, seemingly amused by her own comment

"Anyways, thanks for catching me right there. I guess I owe you one, don't I"

"Yeah you do, and you're going to have to get me back for that one. I would consider saving your life to be a kind of deep debt. And while we're on the topic, what was your blade doing that entire time? Isn't it supposed to be some kind of superhuman extension of yourself? Why didn't it save you?" Irelia was taken aback by her comment. She and her blade were supposed to be one of the same. How come her blade hadn't caught her in time? Had the travel affected her so hard that even her connection to her blade, which was in a way an extension of her beginning to falter? She hung her head down to try and cover up her shame. Riven caught this, and spoke up.

"Sorry, didn't mean to strike a nerve so early in our conversation. Are you going to be alright? I may not be the most caring or compassionate champion that was brought forth to the league of legends, but there's a large difference between

"No, no it's alright. I just think I need to get back to training. It's been far too long already. I think I'll go train by myself for a minute. I think I just need to get some time on my own."

"I can respect that. Catch you around Ionian."

And with that, the two split ways. Riven returned to whatever she had been doing beforehand from what Irelia could assume. She walked over to a less occupied section of the training area, and began her training. She practiced her routine that she had performed everyday back in Ionia. She began with simple meditation to calm one's self. She then commanded her blade to do simple tasks while progressing to more difficult and straining maneuvers, such as trying to control the 4 blades separately instead of all as one. She had been provided with a practice dummy, of which she saw no purpose to use it. She was more concerned about getting her mental link strengthened with her blade before attempting to fight someone, even if it was a practice dummy. Why try to conquer someone else when you cannot even conquer yourself? The practice session continued on for what seemed like days. More and more intense routines, more and more polished displays of them. She felt the link with her blade returning more and more with each routine swing and each coordinated movement. As she began to feel the signs of exhaustion set it, she peered around to take a glance at her fellow champions. She tried to pick out champions that she knew or was familiar with. There was Riven, the Noxian across the room from her, Ashe from the freljord, and Talon, also from Noxus. Irelia couldn't seem to remember the names of anyone else around her, although there must have been at least another ten. As she turned her back to the center of the room, she felt a slight pressure being placed against her back. She turned around to see Nick, her situating officer, standing behind her. She had never seen him face to face, or even in the light before. But now that he was standing right beside her, she could see that although she had originally presumed he stood around 6'1, she realized that he was taller than that. He stood at least at 6'4. Although she was tall amongst her fellow Ionians, she was dwarfed next to her situating officer.

"Good evening, Miss Irelia. I presume that all has been going well and good for you in terms of training? Because if not, you might want to hold your breath and hope that lady lucky is smiling." Irelia opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, Nick continued on. "You've been called forth by the league of legends to participate in a battle upon the fields of justice. I need to ask you the mandatory questions, if that wouldn't inconvenience you in any way, also, why are you not wearing anything on your feet?"

"Yeah, I can answer your questions. And I haven't been provided any shoes this far. You're my situating officer. Shouldn't you have gotten me some?" She added with a small laugh after she saw the shocked expression on his face.

"Wait, you haven't even gotten shoes yet? Why didn't you let me know sooner? I'll go get you some, you just stay right here, and I'll come back with shoes and questions alright?" And he took off before she had the chance to respond. Was he actually asking for her opinion, or was he thinking to himself out loud? Both of them seemed as viable a response as the other at this point. Soon afterwards, she was approached by a medium sized girl with blonde, almost white hair wearing a silver, white and blue armor set with eyes as blue as sapphires. She took her time walking over to Irelia, seemingly not out of fear, but rather as a self confidence boost. Her voice was of a high pitch, but still sounded smooth as she spoke.

"Your name is Irelia, right? I overheard you and your situating officer talking. It's a really nice name. Oh, and by the way I'm Luxanna Crownguard, the lady of luminosity. But you can just call me Lux if you want. That's what everybody else does anyways."

"What do you want?" Irelia asked, clear that Lux wanted something from her.

"You know that you can enter the rift with someone else? Seeing as we're all going to be tested eventually? Why not go in together?" She proposed happily. A small blush came across the Ionian girls face. Someone wanted to enter the rift with her? She sat there for several seconds, leading lux along a false trail of potential disappointment before replying with a friendly "Of course."

"I take it that you're going to wait for Nick to return right? Then again, it doesn't really matter if you bring any shoes to the rift. All you have when you get there is your armor you're wearing and your weapon of choice."

"So how do I get stuff once I'm over there? I don't get it. I just go there, and everything other than the armor on me and the weapon I fight with are gone? Do I get it back?

"Of course you would silly. Why wouldn't you? You just don't get to keep it for the entire duration of the fight. Once the battle is over, you get to come back, and all your stuff will be on you the same way you left."

"But I still don't get it. Everything will be the exact same on me when I return as when I left?"

"That's about the just of it, yeah"

"Even though I'll be beat up and hit around when I'm on the fields of justice?"

"Oh, that's what is confusing you huh? Well, let me explain it to you. When you enter the fields of justice, it isn't actually you entering the fields of justice. When a summoner calls upon you, you're brought to a chamber. No one knows what it looks like yet, but that's what the league says. You're then copied over by the system, and your real body is put to sleep until the fight is over. Once you have been copied and have fallen asleep, the fake you will be placed upon the rift and your conscience is controlled by that of the summoner, although you still feel like it's you. You can still interact with the other champions without your summoner's knowledge, but that's about it. Once a nexus is destroyed, the summoner currently controlling you gives up that ability, and hands you back to you, if that makes any sense to you whatsoever."

"So what you're getting at is that I'm not even in control of me anymore once I step into that room? Why would I ever accept that? What happens if something goes wrong and I don't control of myself back?" Irelia felt a sudden pressure against her shoulder, and she looked over to see Lux's hand planted firmly against it. "Nothing bad will happen to you, you have my promise of that" she said as she finished off with a friendly smile.

"And you are absolutely certain of that? What happens if you're wrong?"

"I guess I'll have some apologizing to do then, huh?" She exclaimed with a small grin. Before Irelia had the chance to say how little sense her comment made, Nick arrived with her Ionian sandals, and the thought slipped her mind. The duo exchanged in quick talk, about how life was back before they were brought forth to the league of legends. Not much deep talk was given, and slowly, the other champions from the room left, some by themselves, some with somebody else. By the time their names were called, the room had been emptied, though neither one of them seemed to notice it. Lux and Irelia were separated, though neither one of them seemed very sad they were being separated. Quick exchanges "good luck" were thrown back and forth and Irelia was brought into a large room, with a small device in the middle of it. The room contained a pattern of lights and a solid metal of some sort, most likely of Demacian or Noxian construction. The room was well lit, though it was lit entirely artificially, due to the fact there was not one window present in the room. She walked over to the small device, which was a tall, wide cylinder, made of what seemed like glass. It needed to hold the larger champions of the league, so the room seemed spacious to the small figured Irelia. She looked around, and ensured that her blade was still on her back. She was quite relived when it was, due to the fact she hadn't checked it since she had been approached by lux. The room quickly filled with red light, which Irelia interpreted up to this point to be the scanning process. Soon, she'd be put to sleep and awake on the rift. The process lasted for several minutes before the room outside began to change to a slight shade of pink. She was let outside and a small, bed like object lay outside the glass room, though she hadn't seen it appear. Perhaps the cylinder was one way glass? But why would they do that? What benefits would it yield? All those thoughts vanished though, as soon as her body made contact to the bed. Her eyes closed, and she dreamt of being back where she belonged. Back home in Ionia.

Within moments, she awoke, but not on the bed. In front of her stood a nexus, and above it, a blue light shone. She took a look at her surrounds and saw three lanes. Down each one of them, she could see three turrets, though the fog inhibited her from seeing any further. Around her stood four other champions, each one amazed by the sights of the right. There was Lux, her friend of whom she had just met, a large woman sitting atop a large boar, a woman carrying what appeared to be a sniper rifle, and a ghostly figure carrying a hook and a lamp. She was interrupted on her sightseeing adventure by the shopkeeper who told her to get busy or she'd fall behind before the game started. She was told to purchase a pair of boots, and some health potions, of which she didn't know what to do with, but she was grateful to have something to wear on her feet seeing as the ground was littered with rocks and other small pieces of rubble cluttering the ground. She was told to head down the left or "top" lane, although she couldn't see it being above any others. She walked by her first turret and inhibitor, so they were called, before a woman cried out "minions have spawned!" And as soon as it was announced, the minions began their journey. Some of them were carrying shields and swords, whilst some of them carried small wands. Lined up in single file, they marched forwards as one group, one unit following the same route that she did. As she passed the last turret, the layout of the rift became more familiar. At the end of the lane were several bushes that allowed the champions to hide and break line of sight. It was at this point she saw who her opponent in this lane was going to be. It was none other than singed, the mad chemist of Zaun who had participated in the invasion of noxus. Although he had not favored either faction, many Ionians fell to the mad chemical brews and bombs he had scattered over the land. The damage he had caused alone took years for Ionia to repair, and the physiological trauma he had inflicted upon the families of the Ionians and the soldiers who fought to defend their city and way of life would never heal completely. The words he expressed showed that he clearly felt no remorse of shame for his past actions, and only caused Irelia to get worked up.

"I see that you survived the chemical bombardment that I launched all over your island. Did your people enjoy my wonderful work of art?" The first lines from his mouth had already hit nerves at the very core of Irelia's being. Her people had died to this man. And their deaths were not calm nor were they quiet or peaceful. That would have been asking for far too much. They had to lie there as the poison picked away at the layers of skin and muscle that had once been a living, breathing, caring human being. The effects of the poison were also as traumatizing as they were lethal. The only cure for the poison was not found until after the war, so if somebody was as unlucky as to be affected by this poison, their lives already drew to a close. The Ionian government advised its soldiers to at least put the soldier or civilian out of his/her misery or try to comfort them. But by the time the bombardments had stopped, no one tried to comfort someone. You would do your kinsfolk a favor by killing them. The line rattled through her head. You'd be doing someone a favor by killing them. That was not the way she had been raised. If it was your best friend you grew up next to and told everything to, or had it have been the bully who ruined your school years. It was all the same. No one wanted to see anyone suffer the way that they did. And Singed enjoyed every moment of it. Safe behind the front lines, he launched his arrays of poison at the soldiers whose governments told them to fight. It was not of their free will, but because someone behind an office desk decided it was the right thing to do.

"Singed, I am going to enjoy every moment that I spend killing you. I want you to know that right now."

"Come on now Irelia, there is no to be so violent, I didn't hurt you did I? You're not being annoyed by the little Singed?"

"You killed so many people in such a brutal way Singed. And you spared no one. Woman, children, everyone. You killed so many people. There is no way that you'll ever earn or deserve my forgiveness."

She could hear the anger that was no clearly apparent in her voice, but this meant nothing in the ears of Singed.

"Irelia, all is fair in love and war." He joked behind his cynical laugh. This was enough to convince Irelia to stop speaking. He understood so little about what he had done, that he was still able to joke about it. It was that or the mad chemist had officially gone mad. Irelia tried to get what he had said out of her head and just focus on the game, but it was hard to know that the killer of so many of here people sat just feet away from her blade. Suddenly, the bottle that Singed carried around on his back began to bubble, and he ran head long at Irelia, his poison gas trailing behind him. She was caught off guard, and got flung behind Singed and into his trail of gas. Each breath that she took in, the poison won a larger part of her lungs. She made a run for her turret, where she knew that she would be safe, but as she did, she felt her legs get extremely heavy only to discover that she was standing in his mega adhesive. She was tossed around, trying to get back to her turret, and without the will to fight. As she began to crawl down the river, he threw her one last time and left her to die to his poison. As she collapsed to the ground, she caught herself on her knees and took in one last deep breath, before her blades poised to end her life. If she was going to die, it would be on her own terms, not by the hands of singed. Too much blood stained his hands, and he didn't care. As her last breath entered her lungs, she closed her eyes and prepared to die. She swallowed one last time, before hearing the noise of what sounded like a boomerang, but had a more pleasant sounding tone. She looked up to see lux's baton on a return path past Irelia, and realized the final ticks of the poison had left her lungs. She looked up to see Lux, as happy as ever, smiling down at her. But their friendly meeting was cut short by the arrival of talon, showing up to take the Ionians life. As he prepared to jump on her, he was cut short by a cage of light, and stuck in place. Irelia used this window to get away from talon, making a dash back to her base to heal. She lost sight of lux, but she assumed she had escaped, if only to make her feel better about herself. She hid in a brush just outside the river and returned back to her base, collecting the phage from the store, before returning back to her lane. Singed had already done work to her first tower, and he had yet to return back to his base. She ran up, hoping to kill the mad chemist finally, but he merely turned around and ran back to his turret the moment he caught a glimpse of her returning to lane. The fight waged on, and eventually Irelia's tower was destroyed by Singed, but Irelia managed to return the favor only minutes later. Once she had grouped up with the rest of her team in the center, or mid lane as they called it, she had still yet to die. As the first fight broke out, their team won rather decisively. They managed to take two of the opposing team's turrets and managed to trade four of the enemies for one of their own. The game was drawing to an end in favor of the blue team, and they were pushing down the nexus turrets of the enemy's base after having aced the enemy team. Despite most of them being low on health, they decided to continue pushing in an attempt to win the game. As the first nexus turret was about to fall, a wave of blades began to fly at lux, coming from Talon, the blades shadow. In order to save her friend, Irelia stabbed her blade into Talon, stopping him where he stood. But this came at a price. The nexus turrets began firing into her, and in conjunction with Talon, Irelia collapsed to the ground as her health hit zero. The last thing that her still living body saw were her own blades, poised to stab into her.

Irelia awoke shortly after in the same bed she had passed out on. Around her bed she could make out the voices of both Riven and Lux, who must've arrived to make sure that she was able to get up.

"Should we wake her up?" Proposed the Noxian. "She appears to be having a nice beauty sleep, but do you really think that she needs it? She'll get all the sleep that she needs in a few hours anyways. Just give her a slight nudge, or a glass of water of water to the face. That always seems to get the job done."

"Riven, now that's just evil. Why would we do that? She's cute when she's sleeping. Let's leave it that way. Let's just leave her alone for a bit, see if she gets up on her own. Irelia decided that now was as good a time as any to get up. "Now what was that lux?" She announced drowsily. "I'm cute when I'm sleeping huh? What was that supposed to mean?" Although her head was still firmly implanted into her pillow, she could tell that the young demacian would be as red as a nice Ionian night.

"You weren't supposed to hear that. I thought you were sleeping. Sorry about that." Gulped Lux with her head hung low. "You see, what I meant to say was that…"

"What she meant to say was that she thinks you're cute, and that you should get up." Asserted Riven.

"Now how about you get up and we can go ahead and do some training. Sound like a plan?"

"I feel like I got a massive headache. Can you give me a hand up?" Riven walked over and grabbed Irelia firmly by the hand and forearm and pulled her to her feet. Even though Riven made herself out to be a tough champion, her hands were still smooth to the touch. The feeling was comforting, and friendly, despite the fact that she was a girl. Why was she thinking these things? She placed her feet firmly onto the ground and walked alongside Riven and Lux out the door. Just outside the door stood Talon, leaning against the wall arms crossed. As they attempted to walk past him, he spoke.

"That was a pretty brave thing to do back there Irelia, but it was foolish at the same time. Don't let it happen again, or you'd better watch your back."

"How about you don't tell me what to do Talon? Doesn't that sound like a fair idea?"

"Are you trying to pick a fight with me, Ionian? Those who have learned that mistake are now in boxes in the ground. Show respect when you're talking to me." Riven spoke up, seemingly displeased with Talon's aggressive statements. "Talon, how about you leave right now, before we have a situation on our hands." And admit it; you're not any good once your opponent is on the same playing field as you." Her eyes locked hard onto Talons. Neither Lux nor Irelia had anything to say. This wasn't a joke. There was something between these two.

"You three just go, but that isn't going to be taken lightly Riven." For seconds after he left, silence filled the air. Riven eventually began walking, and Irelia and Lux followed suit, not sure of what to do next.

"What was the deal right back there Riven? You two seemed kind of angry at each other." Spoke the quiet voice from behind her.

"I guess you could say that we're kind of angry at each other. More he's angry at me, but put both of us in an arena together, and one will leave."

"Why is that? Were you two a thing once? Or are you family?"

"He's just angry at me for having left Noxus, and he called me a betrayer. I guess you could say that I left, but it was with good intentions."

"Now why is that? Are you and Noxus still on good terms? I don't get it."

"Lux, how about we let the conversation go here. I think that Riven is heated enough as is. How about we stop pelting her with questions?" Although that wasn't the only reason why Irelia had asked her to stop. She wasn't quite sure if Lux had caught on, but if she didn't, it would only better the situation. Riven had abandoned Noxus by choice after the war on Ionia. That's the reason why her sword was broken. It wasn't broken fighting for her country, it was broken by her in an attempt to shatter her past. Start anew.

"I don't want to sound rude you guys, but I really don't want to be around you right now. I just want to have some time on my own. Can you guys respect that? They'd hit a nerve somewhere inside her, and she was now physically showing it. Riven was known for being a strong champion, both on and off the fields, but she was still a human being. Her voice wasn't as commanding as it had been beforehand, and her shoulders were shrugging lower than the Noxian would proudly admit. Seeing this, Lux looked at her with her attempt at saddened eyes, and gave her a slight nod.

"I'm sorry Riven I didn't know that it would have …"

"Let it go alright? I don't need your stupid attempts at being nice."

"Riven calm it down a notch. She's trying to help you. This isn't the life you left behind. I'm not sure if you got the memo, but this is the league of legends. Accept her help or don't, but don't be so evil about it."

"Irelia, don't you go talking now. You're just as useless off the rift as were in it. Just leave me alone. You're both worthless" Riven stormed off down the hallway, leaving the saddened Irelia and misty eyed Lux behind.

"It's alright Lux she didn't mean any of it. She just doesn't want to live with her past anymore. She lives by what's the motto that what's done is done. Don't let her get to you."

But Lux was already too far gone to listen to any of this, and she ran her head right into Irelia's shoulder to hide her tears. "What did I … What did I do? I just wanted to be nice." She sobbed almost inaudibly. "No one has ever said that to me before … you still like me right? I haven't made you mad?" But Irelia didn't even have the chance to speak. The sight of the lady of luminosity crying and the damp spot on her shoulder had her almost in tears as well. In mere seconds, Lux was off at a run down the hallway, small rivers forming as she turned away.

"Please Lux! That's not what I meant!" But it was already way too late. The lady of luminosity was either out of earshot or simply ignoring her, but within seconds, she'd cut the left corner, and was gone from eyes and ears.

"I need to hit something" was the only thing she could think of as she lumbered down the hallway. The first tear hit the floor as she realized she was all out of friends right now. She continued down the hallway, went down the small set of staircases and walked through the multiple open doors and training arenas until she set foot in her own.

Her first making contact against the striking dummy was the best experience that she'd had in the past few hours. Above her and to the left was her room, and taking the place of the railing a few feet away from her door stood a support pillar that extended from the room below. Fist after fist began striking the practice dummy, and she had no signs of stopping the beating. Her blade was still on her back, sweat pouring from her brow. Strike after strike, the dummy took the fierceness of her anger. She tried not to show her emotion around others, but once the door was closed and the eyes stopped looking at her, her true nature was shown. Her blades shot off her back and hovered at her side, as though she was in real danger. The dummy took the onslaught, blow by blow, rocking back every time just to collide again with her fist. Over ten minutes passed, and she showed no signs of stopping. For a second she stopped to take a breath, and wipe the sweat from her brow. This late at night, no other champion was awake. She opened the front of her shirt to let the wind from her rocking cool her down. She walked to the other side of the room to collect a dummy that stood like a human at 6'0 except that it couldn't be injured. It was a dummy more suited to champions who fought with bladed weapons, and she proudly fit that category. Taking a deep breath, she began her assault. Starting first at the abdomen, she began smashing into his gut. She raised her arms as though she was blocking, to make it more realistic. Her blades hung at her side in case she needed them, but she was unable to make them fight if they weren't in her hands. They could still manipulate themselves, but couldn't fight without her. Soon, she began fighting with a rhythm in her feet. She hoped around, swinging at random parts of the body, and giving her accurate details of what it would've done on a real person. Soon, her feet began finding the body of the dummy as well, kicking into his thigh, ribs, and even near the windpipe when she felt stable enough to do so. The stretching she needed to perform hurt, but it was comforting. It helped her understand that she was still a human and not a perfect goddess who was incapable of wrong. She knew that, but after the meeting with Lux and Riven, she felt like it was her fault and hers alone that they had both left weeping. But even though Riven leaving might not have been hers entirely, she was too shocked to talk to Lux and coax her out of her situation. She soon realized that a stinging pain had arrived in her muscles, so she sat back and rested on the mat. She sat there for a bit before returning the dummy to where it was originally. She began to walk towards the staircase on her left towards her room, when she caught the sound of something in her ear. After only hearing the sound of the dummy being struck and her own heartbeat, she'd be able to hear a pin hit the floor from across the room. It came from behind the pillar on the opposite walkway, but from what she could tell, the conversation was not going to be peaceful.

"Spying on the Ionian again huh? At first I thought it might've been a fluke, but I'm determined now that you have feelings of some sort for her. I'm so disappointed in you."

The next sounds were hard to distinguish, but with the last hour of her life being spent striking, the sound was all too new in her mind. The sound of struggling was apparent as well, but it didn't last for very long, so either the assailant was much larger than the victim, or the victim was caught off guard. Or it could've been both.

"Don't even try to fight me. You know what you've done is wrong. Now quick question before you go, do you know what organ lies behind the first to sixth rib? Guess it right and I might make it painless."

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do" the voice coughed out. "It's one of them that you don't have."

"Touché. I was thinking about making this as painless and as kindly as possible to honor you and your past acts of genocide, but now I'm going to need to explain to you everybody that you killed nice and slowly as I try to find your heart with a knife." That was all the incentive that she needed. What was Riven doing here anyway? And then again, what was Talon doing here? Why was he following her? She got a line of sight to them just to confirm her suspicions, and correct she was. Talon now had a blade to her ribs, and showed no signs of stopping. Luckily, he was faced away from her, and she seized the advantage. Her blade extended in front of her, separating into all four pieces and rising like a staircase in front of her. As she stepped, the blade before her rose to continue the stairs, and she ran.

"Looks like I found where your heart is Riven. Too bad I'm not going to cherish this moment. I really would've loved to see you die. But I have places to go and a body just waiting to be hidden. So if you could just sit still, that would make your good old friend Talon quite the happy man." But by this point, she was mere steps from the railing, and poised to strike. As she set her foot on the final blade and jumped to the railing, she could see the fear in Riven's eyes. She'd seen it before. Too many times that she'd cared to admit. Her foot was guided this time, and she vaulted off of the railing, and crashed into Talon with the force of determination of an Ionian. She and Talon rolled together along the floor, although she ended up on bottom. But he merely stood up with an unsatisfied emotion on his face. She looked over to riven, mere inches away from her, unharmed. Although even in the dark, she could tell the trauma that had begun to spread across the Noxians face.

"You are such a stupid Ionian. Twice now you've gotten in my way, but this time, you're really going to pay. I was shooting for Riven, seeing as she had a lesson to learn from it. But I guess you'll suffice, but I'll be back for you Riven, and you can hold your word to it. You don't even want to imagine what that blade is going to do to your little Ionian friend here, although you have both seen it before when you attacked her land and slaughtered her people. Call it, I don't know, a gift from our mutual friend Singed. He even switched up the mixture so not even Soraka can fix it. It'll be a painful death, but It'll give you time to think about what you have brought upon this beautiful young lady. Anyway, I got to get going. Bring her flowers for me at her hospital bed."

"Talon, I'm going to get you back for this, you know that right?" She muttered through her tears. "Once we're on a level playing field, you're going to pay for this."

"Oh honey, haven't I told you yet? I really don't like playing fair." Nothing was said between them after that point, or if it was, Irelia was in too much shock to even notice it. Riven slid her up against the pillar and propped her up, and it was at that point that where she noticed it. The blade was poised out of her stomach, a silver blade with a dark black handle, engraved with 'Riven' although it couldn't have been Riven's knife she knew that it would work well enough to set her up. "

They'd gotten into a fight earlier, and Riven seemed kind of on tilt. She looked like she was ready to blow." She could already hear Talon saying when they asked him about this. "I had just gone around for a walk when I saw her there, with a blade in her chest. Crazy girl must've really gone overboard this time." The next words she heard were from Riven, but they came slower than she would've imagined. She looked down and spotted the slight traces of green gas and warm, sticky blood coming from the hole that the knife was now embedded in. It was her blood. The thought struck her hard. She was going to die the same way that most of her fellow Ionians had met. This is what is must've felt like. The pain now flushed out everything else in her body, pushing aside even the most happy of feelings she'd had beforehand. All that was left was panic and sadness. She placed her hands against the handle of the blade before she felt Riven's grab them and move them to her sides."

"Irelia, as weird as this may sound, we need to leave that blade in there. If we don't, your chances of living through this." Irelia managed to raise an arm to place it on her shoulder with the intentions of speaking, but her ability to speak was long since gone. She simply rested her arm there, feeling the shaking of her friend. Riven tore her jacket off, and quickly wrapped it around her arm before placing it above the wound. "Irelia, I really need you to stay awake for me alright? I'm going to get you some help and we're going to get you through this. Just stay here, don't move, and above all, stay awake! Do you hear me?" Her voice quivered as she spoke her last few lines. But as Riven's support left as she stood up to go and get help, Irelia's head collapsed to her chest, directly to the wound. It was just below her sternum, and the sight of the blood pouring down from her stomach made her sick. Her eyes fought as hard as they could, but eventually, the shock and exhaustion she suddenly felt won over. Before she felt her conscience sink away, she felt her blood dripping down from her lip, an intense period of pain, then weightlessness.

I'm sorry to everyone who thinks that Talon doesn't deserve to be in this situation, but I needed to think of someone to fit the role. It came down to Katerina, Talon, and Zed for who the main antagonist would be in a sort, and Katerina and Zed were immediately placed later into the story at some point. I know he's not evil, and I'm sorry for making him appear so. But this story is still OOC slightly. Sorry if you're mad Talon is evil. He just fit this role in my mind. He's basically just a mercenary for hire. I'm sorry for making him this way, but maybe I'll do it right in a later story. Please don't get angry.


	3. Awakening

**This story is OOC, so please keep that in mind while you read this.**

The light of the hospital was a soothing sight for the awaking Ionian. Twice in two days she had been knocked unconscious. At least the first one was merely to avoid the severe boredom that would arise from looking at the ceiling of a dark train car for three days while on her way to the league of legends. And now she was laying here because she had taken a knife meant for a Noxian with her own body. Why would she have done that? And above all that, she did it for Riven? The same Noxian who had slaughtered legions of her people when the Noxians invaded? Why didn't she simply let Talon stab her instead of taking the blade for herself? She felt almost no emotions towards her beside a slight sense of friendship, if she'd even humor herself and call their relationship that. Was it because Riven had saved her life the day before? She pushed the thoughts aside and sat herself upright and looked around her. The walls were a dull shade of grey, and the only notable thing about them was the way the light bounced off of it and lit up the room. Small speckles of light danced around the room as the criss-cross pattern in the window shuttered in the breeze. The room was warm, but she felt cold. The bed she currently laid in was a small one. Two blankets kept her covered and one small white pillow protected her head. She pushed against the spindles at the foot of her bed and laid herself against the wall behind her. The design of the bed wasn't comfortable, but she could tell why. She had been out for a while. A few days at the least. She heard the sound of her door opening just behind the curtain that separated her sight from the door. Moments later, a man who she presumed to be a doctor walked around the corner with a warm, comforting smile across his face.

"Good evening Miss Irelia. Is everything going well for you right now?

"Other than the fact that I was just stabbed a few days ago, I'd dare say I'm doing rather well. Thank you for asking doctor."

"Good to see that your sense of humor didn't take the blunt of the injury. Are you feeling any pain or uneasiness at this point? Do you feel any pain in your stomach or head?"

Irelia placed her hand down the sheets and on her stomach and felt a wad of what felt like gauss bandages. They were soft to the touch, and felt like a very loose fabric that rose and fell with every breath. It extended from just above the waist to about halfway up her chest. "Not that I can tell right now, but I don't like the amount of gauss that I have on me. Doctor how bad was I hurt?"

The doctor's warm smile faded the moment her lips closed, and he looked down at his note pad. He looked up seconds later with a smile, but not as warm or as comforting as the one his face bore moments prior.

"Irelia, I don't want to scare you when I say this, and please don't get angry or afraid when I say this." He hesitated for a moment as he searched for the right words. "Right now, you shouldn't be here."

"What was that supposed to mean? Was I supposed to recover faster?"

"Irelia, I'm going to put this bluntly alright? There isn't any way any of us could think of that would've allowed you to live through that dangerous of a stab."

The words didn't hit her as hard as they should have. Irelia had already been in this situation at the placidium. She'd almost died, but she had her life saved by the star child herself. "It really couldn't have been that bad doctor. Are you sure you aren't over exaggerating a little bit?"

"Not in any way. The knife went in deep, and the only reason that it stopped was because the hilt of the blade stopped it. It was a lethal stab to even the vast majority of the population here." The doctor's warm and comforting smile returned. "You're really something else Irelia. I can see what the talk of everyone around here says so."

"You're not the doctor who was with me this whole time?" She asked confused. "Wouldn't the one doctor be in charge of his patient the entire time?"

"You were operated upon, and placed in here. Nurses rolled you over every day to make sure that you didn't develop blisters or what have you, but you never really had a doctor, or any medical equipment attached to you. For the first seven days, we thought you were dead, but pleas of a special person who chose to go unnamed managed to convince us otherwise. I'm really the first doctor who has come in here and checked up on you. You practically healed yourself. That's what Soraka told us to do anyways. And you came through in the end."

"The person who you're talking about, was her name Riven by any chance? Also, how long was I out for?"

The doctor joked around for a little bit. "Now Irelia, they chose to go unnamed for a reason. Telling you what their name was would just be cheating now wouldn't it? And you were out for about one and a half weeks. It was quite a long sleep that you had there."

"It's alright doctor. I know that it was Riven. Could you do me a favor and get her for me? I'd like a word with her. If it doesn't inconvenience you in any way, of course?"

I'm not going to bother beating around the brush Irelia. I'll go get her for you. Also, you might want to give that blade of yours a little attention. From the nurses notes here he hasn't left your side since you got here, and they couldn't get you two apart with anything they had."

And with that, the doctor left as quickly as he had arrived, the door closing behind him. To the right of her bed, her four sided blade sat, ready and waiting at her side, hovering in the air. Seeing as she was out for the last week and a half, she admired its determination. It hovered at the same spot, never wavering from its location. She imagined it lifting and dropping to her legs, and that it did. It rested itself softly just above her kneecaps just as the door re-opened. The doctor appeared with the Noxian woman, whose red eyes seemed warn out and heavy.

"Are you still doing alright Irelia? I see that you and your blade are still one person. That's a positive sign. That just shows that you have no apparent brain damage as well. Injury to the brain most likely would've caused that link to falter. Do you feel you can control it just as well as before you had sustained your injury?"

Her blade rose back into the air and floated around the room for a few moments before returning back. It came to rest just beside her head, suspended in the air.

"I'm going to take that as a yes then." The doctor spoke with a happy charm. "You are really something else Irelia. But I guess I'd better let you and Riven have that conversation you asked for. If you need anything, just pull the chord to your left and we'll be notified. Do you need anything else before I leave?" Irelia gave the doctor a small shake of her head. "Then I'll be off. You get better soon; you've come way too far now to not make it." And with that, the doctor left, leaving the two soldiers alone in the room together.

"I see that you're awake now Irelia. I knew you'd wake up."

"You're not the kind of person who likes formal introductions huh Riven? And yes, I am awake. No thanks to you of course." The words left her lips before she had the chance to think about saying them. The Noxian didn't seem really affected by the comment, but her next sentence showed it had.

"I know that I'm the reason you're in a hospital bed right now Irelia. I almost got you killed. Does that make you feel any better about yourself? Does it make you feel like you accomplished something?"

"I didn't mean it that way. I'm just angry that I'm stuck in a hospital bed after my first day of being here. You get what I mean right?"

"It's alright Irelia I'm not going to get mad at you for hurting my feelings. It is my fault that you're lying here right now in a hospital bed." She locked eyes with the Ionians. "You're a great person, you know that. You stuck by Lux's side when I got worked up, and you're not holding a grudge. That takes a special kind of person."

"Oh you think I'm going to let this slip past unnoticed and keep going on my merry way? You're so deceived Riven." The guilt spread across the Noxians face in waves. Her eyes and mouth sagged, her posture slumped.

"I should've guessed. I thought we could start over as friends. Get a clean slate you know?"

"There's no shame in thinking that Riven. But I almost died for you. You're a Noxian. You tried to … No I take that back. You did kill many of my people. That isn't something that I can so easily forgive and forget Riven. I know what you've done is in the past, but I don't know if I can forgive it."

"You do hold a grudge I guess. I don't really know the real you do I? I thought you were a lot calmer and collected than this."

"And I thought that you weren't so mushy and weak on the inside Riven. What has gotten into you? You butchered legions of soldiers like a mindless pawn! Why are you going to soft on me now! We're enemies! Not friends!"

A wave of red struck over the Noxian and she raised a hand to cover her eyes. "Irelia, what has gotten into you? A week and a half ago you were someone I could respect. Now you're lashing out at me?"

"Why am I laying here right now Riven? Do you know who I caught that blade for?"

The Exiles hand moved away from her eyes, revealing her saddened but angered eyes. "Are you saying that if I was to put you back into that situation again, you would have just let me there to die? Why did you even try to save me in the first place! Why wouldn't you just let me die?"

The words carried the might of a stampede of horses. Why did she go up there and save her? The Noxian that stood before her could have been dead instead of her being bedridden for she didn't even know how long. She'd butchered so many Ionians for the better of Noxus, and would've killed her had she have had the choice. Her throat began to swell up with the anger she was beginning to feel.

"I wish I could answer that question, but I don't think that either one of us would want to hear the answer to it. How about you just" was all she managed to say before the Noxian was upon her, with her lips pressed to hers. The heat and pressure left as soon as it had arrived, and the woman headed for the door. She managed to turn around with blushing cheeks. "Come find me when you get better alright?" Before the Ionian had the chance to open her lips in response, the door hit the border. Her right hand rose to her lips as she felt the un-normal warmth the Noxian had left. Her blades still waved through the air, watching over her, although it had made no attempt to attack Riven. It couldn't attack without her usage, but it could at least pushed Riven away. And her blade knows all that Irelia knows. She was unsure whether the feeling was good or bad. Or both.

"Emotions are so twisted." She laughed to herself in the now empty room before dozing back off to sleep in the hospital bed.


	4. Enprisonment

After several more days of resting and basic exercises, Irelia was allowed to leave the confines of her hospital room. She still wore bandages over the wound to prevent it from getting exposed and scaring those who saw it, but also allowing the wound to get exposed to open air and movement. Awakening for the last time in the small hospital room, she felt the summer breeze blow through the window, launching the curtain and her hair around in unison, the evening sun throwing rays of light around the room. She was still dressed in her provided medical gown that she assumed that she had been placed into when she was administered into the hospital. The hospital itself was very close to the league, being placed slightly away from the building to allow the champions to practice without needing to see the medical ward, or something like that. Irelia had never really bothered much in the architecture of buildings, and she wasn't about to start doing so now. Placing herself on her own two feet for the first time in two weeks, the feeling was strange but accomplishing. She took step by step to the other side of her room, looking around for the bathroom, and in the meantime found her set of armor lying neatly folding on a small box in the far corner of the room. The hole the knife had left was practically invisible, and would have been completely un-seeable had it not have been for the slight white tint of the thread that sewed it, though that would be un-seeable to the normal passerby. She wandered around the room for a few minutes, getting back into the habit of walking on her own two legs. She managed to make her way over to her armor, and through a bit of fumbling, place it upon herself. Her blade hung near her head, making no noise as it did so. The doctor appeared soon afterwards, letting her know again how amazing it was and what a medical miracle she had performed, but that was really irrelevant to her. Right now she just wanted to get back to the league and get back to the small life of training and whatever small group of accomplices she had back at the league. But despite her best effort, the encounter with Riven still flashed vividly through her mind. Feelings flew through her mind, and the thought of what had occurred caused her to feeling both anger and curiosity. She flung the thoughts aside when she realized how stupid she was being right now. She would never forgive Riven for what she had done. Nothing that the noxian could do would ever undo the pain that she had brought. Once the doctor was done her evaluation, she gave him a quick smile, and walked out the door. After a few minutes of wandering through the halls trying to find the main doors she managed to make it outside and take her first deep breaths of fresh air that her lungs had been treated to in two weeks. The league of legends stood tall and proud several hundred feet in front of her, she began the trek. Her shoes crunched against the gravel walkway as she strode towards the large closed doors that cut of the league from the rest of the world. The trees lined the left side of the walkway, causing the light that made it through to dance around the gravel walkway, engaged in never ending movement. The magnificent oaks stood tall and straight, undisturbed by the wind that blew at their sides. The color was a darker brown, causing the trees to display fewer variations in the texture of their bark. The several hundred feet passed in mere minutes and she pressed her arms against the large pair of doors. They stood at roughly three times her height, and had a nice, cherry colored tint to them. The doors opened nearly without effort and the dwarfed Ionian walked through and quickly pulled them closed behind her. She walked around to the staircase on her right, and climbed the twenty or so stairs with ease. She made her way down the hallway, watching the champions below her strike the dummies or train their aim against the statuettes at the end of perfectly linear corridors. Her door to her room opened with a warming creak and she stepped inside, leaving the door wide open behind her as she stepped inside. The room had clearly been cleaned recently as the room seemed to reflect the slightest glimmer of light that entered it. She simply did a quick check of her room before exiting the door and locking it shut behind her. She walked down and around to her practice pad, and found that it only housed around half the people that it had originally housed. She only counted seven, and this was one of the more filled practice pads from what she could tell. The lady of luminosity stood in front of her, throwing her orbs of light down one of the practice ranges. A quick hand on her shoulder caused her to turn heels and face the Ionian. The shock on her face quickly switched to her more normal smile, her face bright with excitement.

"Welcome back Irelia!" She spoke in her high pitch, happy voice. "I haven't seen you for weeks. How have you been?"

"I've been lying in a hospital bed for the last two weeks. I have been much better." She felt no need to return the hospitality to the shining light mage. "Where has everybody gone?"

Lux looked around puzzled for a few seconds before returning her eyes back to the woman standing in front of her. "Oh, I completely forgot about that. Sorry. The thought completely skipped my mind. Everyone is currently practicing in the new arena that the league has created for us. It's designed to give us much more realistic training or something like that. I didn't really pay much attention to the announcement they put on."

"So I take it that is where Riven has gone, correct? She was here a few weeks ago, but she isn't here anymore."

"Oh, Riven? No. She has been placed under arrest for attempted murder, along with Singed. She was only aloud out once to go visit you once you got up, because apparently she pleaded the entire time you were out." The Ionians calm voice turned to that of pure annoyance once the statement was over.

"You're telling me that the detectives of this place couldn't even determine that Riven had tried to save my life, not end it? Who even bothered to hire these guys in the first place?"

"Irelia, Riven was caught fleeing the scene. She was running as fast as she could away from you once you were down. That's what I heard at least. They found her jacket wrapped around your chest, and determined that she was the one who had tried to murder you. Her name was found on the knife that was inside of your chest, and the detectives immediately pinned all the blame on her. The poison located on the knife was determined to be that of what Singed, so he and Riven were charged with murder and locked up. From what I heard, Riven pleaded that you hadn't died even when your vital signs were almost gone. She claimed that you were worth trying to save, and that you'd pull through. She was aloud her one small leave once she found out you were alive under extreme surveillance of the room."

"Thank you for that Lux. I'm going to go find Riven and get her out of there. Where are they right now do you know?"

"They're in a room on the left corridor, closer towards where the new training rooms and summoning rooms are. It's just down a long hallway. It's the third door on your right. Singed is in the sixth room on the right."

"I don't care about Singed. I'm going to get Riven out of there. You take care alright Lux?"

"You too. Good luck! Don't be foolish!"

Her pace rose as she flew up the two flights of stairs to the open corridor to her left. She walked towards the training area. "Who did they put in charge of doing this investigation?" And not one person managed to cross her mind. Just because the knife had Riven engraved into it didn't meant that she did it. If that was their supporting evidence, she was going to have to severely consider ever letting them ever do their job ever again. The hallway entered her around one minute after walking down the corridor. She quickly walked around the corner and peered down the long hallway. Its simple wallpaper stretched along the walls several hundred feet, and the hallway was roughly five feet in width. Her stride was determined as she approached the third door on her right. Two annoyed and angry voices shot through the wall. She twisted her wrist against the knob and entered the room. A tall woman with pink hair and huge fists had Riven pinned against the wall while a thinner woman with brown hair that stretched down her back pelted her with insults.

"What do you two think that you're doing?" Asked Irelia with a shocked tone. The room was long and wide and stood about ten feet from floor to ceiling. The walls were a simple grey paint with small chips in the process of falling off or had already fallen off. There was a small cell in the corner of the room, taking up roughly one tenth of the room with an optimistic evaluation. The bars were thick, and blocked off most of the cage. A small door in front of the cage sat wide open, the bars slightly pulled outwards. Small benches were scattered amuck in the room, all of differing shapes and sizes.

"How about you leave right now before we have to do the same to you?" Threatened the pink haired woman

"How about I stand my ground and give you about ten seconds to explain what you're doing before I report this to the police?"

"I don't want to put this harshly, but we are the police." Shot back the brunette.

"You're Vi and Caitlyn aren't you? From what I heard about you two you were supposed to be decent police officers in charge of defending piltover. And now you're beating up a Noxian that doesn't even have the will to fight back."

The Noxian was dropped to the floor, her legs unable to support her weight as she collapsed against the wall.

"Yeah, we're beating up a Noxian, and so what? You're supposed to hate these guys anyways? Why are you standing up for one?" The pink haired girl pushed on.

"This is police brutality. Doesn't that click into your head?"

"So what if what we're doing is police brutality? We're the police here. Simply put, we are the rules here."

Irelia's blade floated softly in front of Irelia, and her hand made a link with the orb in the center, creating a red line between the two.

"How about I give you until the count of ten to leave this room before I need to take matters in to my own hands?"

"If I were stupider than I am Ionian, I'd think that you were threating us. Even you, the fool who dove in front of a blade for this Noxian wouldn't be stupid enough to challenge both of us."

"You two really are quite full of yourselves aren't you? I didn't think someone could even be that full of themselves. "

"And I didn't know someone could be so cocky and selfish. You don't care about the league becoming a better place; you just care about your own selfish desires."

The atmosphere in the room began getting heated. Both parties locked eyes and didn't look away for anything.

"Vi, I strongly suggest you think about who dove in front of that blade before you try and say I was selfish. Riven is being falsely held and I'm here to get her out of here."

"I know that you dove in front of that blade for her. But that isn't what I would consider smart or caring. Now you just leave and let us go back to our job and try to plead innocent to the judges or whoever. I really don't care."

"I'm not leaving until I know she's safe in my custody. And if you won't hand her over, I'll have to take her from you. By any means I deem right."

"Oh, now I'm sure you're threatening us Ionian."

"Vi, I'm not threatening you. Not in any way, shape or form. I'm just more than happy to perform negotiations with a blade."

The brunette drew a sniper from her back and pointed the long barrel straight at her leg

"If you take one step closer, I'll be forced to tranquilizer you exactly where you stand."

"Try me."

The blades shot out and launched the brunette's sniper halfway across the room before she even had time to respond to what was happening. She commanded her blades to pin Caitlyn down, and she was launched up against the wall. The blades hit underneath her arms and kept her pinned while her other two defended her from Vi. The two engaged in a flurry of punches and counters, kicks and dodges. Sweat began pouring down their faces as Caitlyn's screams faded into the background. Whenever Vi would go for a punch, it would be simply dodged by Irelia, who refused to return any punches of her own. She feared if she overdid herself right now, she would tear the stitches she was certain she had in her chest. Her breathing got heavy and constant as she dodged countless of Vi's huge punches. One direct hit and she'd be thrown against the wall and knocked unconscious. She caught a glimpse of Riven, lying against the wall passed out due to asphyxiation. The pink haired defender of piltover threw one last punch at Irelia, launching herself at Irelia and carrying her into the air before slamming her back down to the ground. As she prepared to smash her one last time, her blade caught around Vi's legs and threw her to the floor. The two sat lying down side by side, each too exhausted to move another muscle. Vi regained her footing first, and lifted Irelia by the neck into the air.

"Oh cupcake, I would so enjoy smashing you against a wall right now. You let Caitlyn down or maybe I just will."

"You make me."

Vi increased her grip on Irelia's neck, causing her to gasp for air. Her grip was strong and immovable. No squirming and pulling would do anything to falter her grip. She could just stab Vi to death, but that was illegal, and she didn't want to kill anyone anymore. As she prepared to pass out, her blades smashed into the side of Vi's massive glove, causing it to drop to the ground, releasing Irelia in the process. She placed her hands to her neck and took several deep breaths before looking up to vi, whose other glove was already poised to smash her into the floor. It came down fast, swinging directly for her head. Her blades rose to try and stop it, but they were too weak. They were just an extension of Irelia herself, so if Irelia was weakened, her blades were weakened. Just before her punch connected, Vi stopped and faced the door. As Irelia managed to twist herself around from on her knees, she saw a small armadillo standing in the doorway. His head was tilted slightly downwards and his eyes were focused onto Vi's

"Rammus. What are you doing? This isn't your fight."

He didn't speak, he merely walked into the room and placed himself between Irelia and her attacker. As Vi's glove began to steam, charging another punch, Rammus simply stood his ground, ready to take the punch.

"Vi, just let it go. We don't want this fight getting any more out of hand then it already has." Begged Caitlyn from her pinned position on the wall.

"You win this one Ionian. Just let Caitlyn down from the wall and we'll get out of here."

The blades released from the wall and returned to the red orb connected to Irelia's hand and reconnected. Caitlyn walked to the other side of the room to collect her sniper while Vi grabbed her dropped glove with her remaining gloved hand and together they walked to the door, but stopped just before leaving.

"Irelia, don't try to make enemies with us. We're not …"

Rammus gave a loud, angry grunting noise and a quick shrug towards the door. They two defenders of piltover left the room, leaving Irelia, Rammus and Riven behind. Irelia gathered herself, before walking over to the still unconscious Noxian. She had a slight bruising around her collarbones, showing the brutality had gone on for a while. She slipped one arm around her neck and one around her hips and lifted her into the air. She felt the strain against her chest and the pain in her arms, but she still managed to lift the limp body into the air. She turned to see Rammus walking out the door with his quick short steps.

"Rammus. Thank you for doing that for me."

The little armordillo responded with a quick "Yep" before rolling down the hallway, out of sight. She carried the limp Noxian down the hallway, across one of the bridges that connected the left and right corridors, her muscles aching and burning with every step that she took. But yet she managed to forge onwards and eventually managed to make it back to her room. She placed the Noxian in her bed and insured that her head was nicely placed against the pillows. She pulled the blanket up to her neck and looked at her. The Noxian looked peaceful while she slept. She rolled over onto her side causing Irelia to step back, but once she was sure that the Noxian was still asleep, she walked back. Her hair had fallen down across her eyes, and she pulled it away and placed it against the side of her head and across her forehead. She gave a quick smile as she watched her sleep peacefully, taking in the Noxians beauty. She had never really looked eye to eye at Riven when she had a clear mind. Either she had just saved her life, had been so angry she would have stabbed her then and there had she of had the opportunity to, had her own life saved by her, or had just watched her storm out boiling mad. But seeing her now with a clear mind she was able to take in her full beauty. Her mouth and nose were well curved, and her skin tone was a well-tanned brown. She watched for a few minutes, and after Riven rolled back onto her back, watched the blanket rise and fall as she breathed in and out. She eventually pressed her back to the wall and closed her eyes. The next thing she felt was a quick shaking against her shoulders as she woke up. In front of her stood Riven, shaking her violently yelling at her to wake up.

"What is it Riven? What's going on?" She asked drowsily, her eyes only half open.

"I think we have some unexpected company." Muttered the Noxian.

As she turned to her left, she saw two legal officers and five police officers standing in her kitchen.

"Irelia, Riven, we're going to have to ask for your cooperation before we need to force it out of you." Spoke one of the officers.

"What do you need us for?" Asked Irelia, still only half awake and sitting on the floor.

"We'll explain on the way. Come with us please."

She managed to get up off the floor and stagger along with the group of people. Bumping into the corner of the wall and nearly tripping while staggering towards the door

"Am I asking too much for a little bit of time without something happening?" Was the last thing she thought before her door shut behind her and she followed the group down the hallway with Riven following close behind.


	5. Death

The pace down the hallway was quick. Her already tired legs muscles drug with an occasional "thud" as her foot arched against the floor. The guards and legal officials walked with purpose in their steps. Their overshined shoes stomped against the floor in a constant beat. The still awakening Ionian walked with them, but she could tell her muscles hadn't had time to awaken yet. The aching pain was felt all over her body from the fight last night or an awkward sleeping position, it meant nothing. The official in front of her wore a black suit pressed firmly to his back, his shoulder blades moving with every step he took, his arms swinging rhythmically against his sides. His sleek black hair was pressed against his head, the light reflecting off in rays. His jeans had clearly been ironed, as a crease in them couldn't be bothered to be found with a microscope. A small device hung out of his ear, the chord attaching down around the front of his neck somewhere. A small handgun sat out of his hip, its point clear. "We aren't trusted."

"Where are we going?" She spoke, trying to break the ice and start a conversation.

"You're being taken to a court room where you will be contesting against the detainee Riven of Noxus for your attempted murder." He spoke with a monotone voice.

"Wait? I'm attempting to get Riven into... What are the possible charges?" Her tone shook, wavering from its normal, commanding voice.

"Irelia, you're on a need to know basis. Your lawyer will fill you in once we arrive any minute now. I ask you remain quiet for the rest of the duration of the walk."

She swung her head around to get a look at her friend, but the guard behind her, but he simply brought the butt of his rifle to bear, and she turned her head back towards the front. The walk was over within minutes, and she arrived at a set of closed doors. The train split off, leaving Irelia with a middle aged, dark man holding a clipboard in one hand, a pile of small notes in the other. His face displayed no emotion, and his only movement he displayed was that of his eyes scanning back and forth against his cards. One by one, they were thrown onto the clipboard where they rested as he continued on to the next one. She approached him, and he seemed unaware of her presence. All of the guards and officials went with Riven through the main doors, and they thudded close with a disheartening "smash" Her lawyer raised his head, looking the Ionian in the eyes. His complexion was that of a middle aged man, who she placed to be in his mid-thirties. His eyes were a dark green, with a slight amount of brown. The areas around his eyes bore lines, showing he'd seen his fair share of life and the harshness it displayed. His mouth was a dulled out pink, not a bright or medium shade of pink that almost anyone else would've

"You are Irelia, correct?" He questioned. "Will of the blades?"

"Yes, that is me, and you are?"

He returned a stern glare. "My apologizes, let me introduce myself. I am Carlyle, and I will be your lawyer for this case. As it has been proposed to me, she attempted to murder you, and I am here to ensure that she is at the least locked away, or better. Is that correct?"

"No, it's not. That's not how it goes at all!"

"Irelia, I never really took you for the emotion type. You have been through a lot of traumatic events recently, and if you wish, I can get you in to see a counselor once this situation has been settled. With your permission, that is. Now, as I was saying."

Her voice riddled with annoyance, she responded. "This has nothing to do with me being traumatized. Riven is being falsely accused. Please just …"

Her next words were rudely cut off. "We are going to go into that courtroom, testify, and get this disgrace of a champion locked up. And yes, you are traumatized. You broke that woman out of a secure jail cell. That is illegal. You're lucky those you assaulted decided not to press charges. Now, as I was saying before you interrupted me. I will testify, and you will not speak unless you are asked to do so by the judge herself. Is that understood?"

This was not a sentence she wanted to reply to. He hadn't taken anything she said seriously, she was not going to humor him and do the same. Only seconds passed before he turned towards the door and walked, and she instinctively walked behind him. Once he was done, she could convince the court that she was innocent and clean this whole issue up.

The inside of the courtroom was tall and wide. The room itself was to the left of the summoning chambers where champions were brought upon to fight on the fields of justice. In the center of the room stood a high pedestal where the judge would sit, and besides the pedestal, two chairs where those who were speaking to the judge would be seated. The room itself was filled with oak benches, seating champions of all nations. Demacians in the back left, with their yellow and white colors. Amongst them were the likes of Garen, Xin Xhao, Jarvan the fourth himself, and Luxanna, the light mage. Her face showed only fear as their eyes met for the second they did. Her head turned to the side to the other side, to see the yordles. The ten of them sat side by side, only taking up the space of four of five Demacians. Tristy sat idle at the doorway, with its owner sitting patiently in the seat. Up in the forward right of the courtroom sat the Noxians. Dark clothing and dark figures was a normal for them, and they were easily picked out of a crowd. Darius, Swain and Katarina were simply a few amongst the group of Noxians. In the bottom left corner sat the members of piltover, or those who didn't belong to a major faction. In between the Demacians and the champions of piltover sat the Ionians in their shades of colors and exquisite designs. Between the Noxians the yordles sat those who were imprisoned within the institute of war but didn't have a faction to place themselves in. The judge had yet to take their place at the pedestal, and Irelia and Carlyle advanced to the front of the room and took their place inside of a small booth in front of Piltover. Across the room from them sat Riven and her younger, female judge. The two made eye contact and she got a clear look at the emotion on the Noxians face. There was none to speak of. Fear, happiness, anger, guilt, regret, sadness, agony, she showed none of it. Her face was as blank as that of a clean easel waiting to be painted upon. Her skin tone was darker of that than her lawyer, and her physique much more muscular.

"All rise for the arrival of our judge for this meeting, Karma, of Ionia." The voice announced over the PA system. Everyone rose, although some of them needed more coaxing than others, primarily the Noxians. The dark skinned woman entered the room, her strides long and practiced. The purple ribbons of her dress danced along the ground, following her like a pack of obedient dogs. She strode to the pedestal and cleared her throat. Within moments, she began speaking.

"Thank you for gathering yourselves here today. Not only to the champions, but also to the summoners who have sacrificed their free time and will to attend or participate in this trial. Your time and effort is greatly appreciated."

A swift nodding of heads came from the summoners as well as some champions.

"We have gathered here today to settle the case between Irelia of Ionian and Riven of Noxus. The case as it stands is that Irelia was attempting to return to her room after a hard night of training, only to be ambushed by Riven in the dark of night, stabbed with this blade and was then left to die as Riven fled the scene for her own selfish desires. Irelia then spent one week in a coma, and another week recovering from her injuries in the hospital. We would first like to bring forth the accused for questioning."

Riven stood from her seat and walked towards the podium to the right of karma. Carlyle stood up with a pile of notes in his hands and looked to the now seated Riven.

"Riven, as we have it here, you were not checked into your dormitory at the time of Irelia's stabbings, correct?"

"Yes, that is correct. I was not in my dormitory."

"And what is your reason for doing so?" His questioning continued.

"I was watching the Ionian train in the arena just below her room."

"And what were you hoping to accomplish from doing so?"

"I had no real motive. I simply wished to watch the young Ionian train."

"And was that reason so that you would have an easier time ambushing her as she climbed the stairs, which you knew she would take seeing as you knew where her room was?"

"No. As I stated, I had to true motive behind it."

"That is it your honor."

Carlyle returned back to his booth and sat next to Irelia, his back up, pose straight, displaying some sort of twisted pride from this. Riven returned to her booth, but her step waivered. She didn't step with the same confidence that she had done earlier. She now walked back to her booth with a limping pose, and her palms displayed sweat.

She was nervous, and Irelia knew it. Was the entire ordeal with Talon really just a setup? She'd never considered the situation in that light before. She'd always assumed that Riven had been on her side all along, but she had never really questioned Riven or asked for her motives. The thought had never even crossed her mind.

"We will now bring forth the defendant for questioning" exclaimed the far more tanned Ionian. The small door to the booth opened with a creak as she pushed on it, and the hinges returned it back to its normal position. The thoughts of Riven's motives still flew around her mind, setting off signals in her brain. Why had she trusted Riven? She had no reason to trust her aside the fact she caught her from her fall, but she hadn't seen what the Noxian did once she passed out from the stabbing. Her palms began to sweat and her pulse rose. What would she do if Riven had really set that up? But she could've killed her in the hospital room right? There had only been security cameras, and Riven could've had her blade in her chest in less time than what the guards had to get in and stop her. The light and dark emotions continued fighting in her head until she sat down upon the chair to the left of karma. Riven's lawyer rose and looked Irelia in the eyes.

"Irelia, from what I have heard, you were training the night of the incident. Is that correct?"

"Yes, that is true. I was training the night I was stabbed."

"And why were you training that night?"

"I had steam I needed to blow off, and I felt as though I needed some time alone."

"And why did you need time alone on this night Irelia?"

"I had some things that I needed to think about."

"That is all your honor."

The lawyer of Riven returned to her booth and sat down. Irelia threw a confused look her way. Those weren't questions. Those were simple facts. Was she even really trying on this case? Did she have more up her sleeve? She threw a glance to Riven, and in the mere seconds that she saw her, the signs of fear were apparent upon her face. Lines were forming around her eyes, the shaking in her eyebrows, and the trembling of her hands on the ledge in front of her. Returning back to her booth, her heart raced. She should hate the Noxian, but inside of her, she knew that she didn't want anything bad to happen to her. Riven was called back up by Carlyle who pelted her with more questions. He returned and his face and posture were even more proud this time. He wanted Riven locked away, but she was being falsely accused. What was she going to do?

"Irelia, can you come to the front?" Asked the dark Ionian from the front

Her steps were still well balanced and mature, but inside her inner conflict threatened to tear away at her very being. This was going downhill very fast, and the chances of Riven getting away from this innocent were decreasing every time. The seat felt different this time. She despised its very being. She didn't want it to be here. Or anywhere for that matter. She didn't want to be in this courtroom right now, hoping that her friend wasn't sent away to jail.

"Irelia, what are your opinions on this case? Do you feel the accused should be punished?" spoke Karma with her normal, diplomatic tone.

"No. I feel as though she shouldn't be punished at all your honor. It wasn't her that committed the crime."

"Thank you Irelia." The tall brown skinned Ionian looked around the room before speaking again. "Based on this case, I would consider the accused, Riven the exile, guilty of her crimes. Meet back here tomorrow at the same time to determine what her punishment will be."

The fact that Karma hadn't listened to her was more painful than Riven being accused guilty. Back in Ionia, the two were a tight knit, but now, all of that seemed to have faded away. The room was slowly emptied as the different champions and summoners left the room. Irelia stayed behind to speak to karma although she had been urged to leave.

"Karma, can I have a word with you?" She asked, attempting to keep her voice as calm and emotionless as her body would allow.

"Of course Irelia, why wouldn't you. The tone of your voice shows that you have something that is affecting you. And I'm going to assume it's my decision to have Riven punished for trying to murder you? You seemed rather upset about it just now." Karma knew Irelia like she knew the back of her hand. They had spent many long hours together as friends or as strategists, but no matter the situation, she enjoyed her company.

"Yes it is. You know me too well for me to even make an attempt at lying."

A small grin showed itself about her older face, before she spoke.

"I suppose that you know me as well then." Her smirk vanished. "In that case, let's agree to be honest to each other all right? Can you spare me that leisure?"

A slight nod was all she returned.

"Irelia I want you to know that I didn't want to make that choice. I want to believe you. I really do. You of all people should know that." She spoke quickly as she compiled her notes from the court meeting into a pile in her arms. "But I needed to consider what the best was for everyone else. If she attacked you, what is stopping her from attacking everybody else?"

"Karma I've said it before, I'll say it again. She wasn't the one who stabbed me."

"I want to believe you Irelia, I really do. And you know this, but I cannot take your word over everyone else's. She is simply too dangerous to trust, and you've gotten, let's say emotionally intertwined with her. We cannot take your word as seriously as I want to."

"Karma, we've done so much together. And never once have I let the words you've spoken fall upon my deaf ears. I've trusted every word you've spoken, and I need you to do the same for me. Please. Just this once, I beg you."

The sadness was apparent in Karmas eyes, but her decision held as strong as a bridge. "I'm sorry Irelia. I cannot risk your life again. You need to get away from her. That's all I can say to you."

She strode from atop her pedestal and walked to the door, leaving the pleas from Irelia to fall upon her own deaf ears. Her sadness apparent and left to her own company, she clenched his fists and teeth and screamed in her head. The pain she felt was not normal for her to feel. Her blade rose from its holster on her back into the air, spinning around the air. Storming her way outside the doors, leaving them wide open behind her in her recklessness and storming away. Away from the place of betrayal and sadness, of fear and uncertainness. Her legs picked up speed as she stormed down the hallway, feeling the wind flowing past her, and not even it wanted to get in her way. She heard and felt her heart beat as the hallway got shorter and shorter. As she approached the end, she threw her body mass over the railing with one hand, and connecting with the floor with a confirming "crash." Head over heels she rolled before regaining her balance and continuing her charge to the front doors. They parted quickly when met with the force of her hands, and the cool spring air filling her lungs and throat. Her hair was lifted off her forehead and violently thrown behind her. The spacing between her armor felt cold as the air creeped its way inside of it. Her blades fanned out in front of her, welcoming her feet. The four spread apart, and she leaped from one to another with simple ease. It was her way of cooling off. The blades flew around as stairs in a way, her foot connecting comfortingly against every one. Some shot her off in weird angles, but she trusted her blades to lead her around. Though this served no real purpose, she felt her anger inside boil down dramatically.

"Hey Irey, what are you doing outside?" Spoke a small voice tens of meters away. Her blades reconnected into one solid object around the red orb as she dropped towards the ground. The shock was felt up her legs to her arms, but she didn't feel any obvious injury. She looked over to see Lux standing just outside the doors. She'd moved roughly thirty feet in her little expedition. The light mage had her standard smile on, and it warmed her mood slightly. Approaching the girl, she felt her mind clear.

"I'm blowing off steam. What are you doing outside?"

"I followed you. I saw you take off down the hallway; I was going to talk to you once you left to see if you were ok, but you just took off, so I decided to follow you. Is something wrong?"

"Was that an honest question? Do I look perfectly fine right now?"

The mage seemed undisturbed by the phrase. "Oh, I'm sorry. It's just so normal for me to ask if someone's ok first. I guess it's just a routine for me now. What's on your mind?"

"Lux, do you think that Riven is guilty of the crimes she has been committed of?"

"Irelia, I do think that she did. That's my honest answer. Why?"

"So even you believe that she did it. I decided to be a hero and try to save her life, and now all I've done is get her into an even worse position. Wonderful."

"Irey what are you talking about? You're not the reason that Riven might be sent to jail or executed tomorrow. It's not your fault."

Irelia's body collapsed into the arms of the light mage. They simply didn't have the power to hold that thought. She felt her arms wrap around her back and hold her up. Her mind began filling with the thoughts of Riven again, but this time, she was lying face up in a casket. Arms crossed over her chest, eyes closed. Clean and dressed well. Sadness shot through her body, shaking her at her center. The little blonde haired girl held her up surprisingly well, seeing as Irelia stood roughly a half a foot to a foot taller. Tears didn't dare show their faces on this occasion, but she wanted to. But she needed to put on a mask. Hide what she was feeling. She herself didn't know what she was feeling. Minutes passed, Lux never once bothering to interrupt Irelia in her thoughts. Once she had gathered her strength and thoughts, she backed away from the demacian and raised her head.

"Thank you Lux. I needed that."

"I will always be here for you Irelia. You keep that in mind alright?" A small smile stretched along her face. "If you ever need something, or you just need a shoulder to cry on, I'm here for you alright?"

"I appreciate it. I'm heading back inside Lux. I'll see you tomorrow alright? I might need you."

Signs of confusion spread across her face, but it was quickly followed up with a nod. Lux might not catch onto everything immediately, but she was smart if you gave her a few seconds to collect her thoughts. Irelia headed back inside, the large doors opening much slower this time around, and she returned to her room. The padded carpet felt far away as she stepped inside. It didn't feel like home. Walking over to her bed, she collapsed backwards and rested her head against the pillow. Within minutes of falling down on the bed, her mind ventured off as her body slept. The cold covered her still clothed body, and shivers split up her spine. Her body rocked violently in its sleep, launching her pillow and bed sheets against the walls and to the floor. Her body rocked up, her heart beating quickly in her chest. Her dreams had not been pleasant. She tried to imagine other things, but all she could imagine was Riven, lying in her casket. The thought scared her, and the sweat poured off her body in almost waves. She looked out the window to see that the sun was still up. She left her room and walked down the corridor towards the court. Turning left across the bridge that connected the two walkways, she walked forwards with determination. The padded carpet pushed into her footsteps, and her legs moved at a steady, rapid pace. She dashed down the hallway she had ventured down yesterday. The third door on the right. The door opened with so little as a noise, and Irelia entered. In the cage sat the woman she had come to find. Her red eyes zoned into the wall across from her, her back pressed to the wall, her thighs on a bench. She was immediately announced to her friend's presence and a smile crossed her face. Irelia walked over and knelt down beside the grate, Riven doing the same.

"What are you doing here Irelia? No one should be seeing me at this time, let alone you. They're going to think that you're crazy!"

"That's of my concern and mine only. Don't you worry about me."

"What are you doing here?"

"I heard you the first time Riven. I came to make sure you're alright. I pleaded to Karma to have your punishment revoked, but she didn't so much as consider it. She said it was for the better of everyone else, and it wasn't just her own thought. She didn't believe me when I told her that it wasn't you who had done it. She didn't want to believe me. I… I was scared Riven."

A small nod came from the Noxian through the bars. "I know you're scared. I'm scared. It's alright to be scared Irelia."

"Don't you try coaching me on feelings." She spoke with a smile

"Oh, how'd I forget that I'm not allowed to have feelings?" The Noxian returned with the same happy tone."

"Riven, aren't you afraid of what might happen to you tomorrow?"

"Irelia, everything in life happens for a purpose. Everything we do and have done has occurred for a reason. I learned that the hard way. Right before I abandoned Noxus. Those reasons are not always the right ones. And you can get mad at the choices that someone else made. That's just in our nature. But If I do die tomorrow, I want to let you know that..."

"Don't you go telling me you're going to die now! I won't let that happen to you alright? I promise you."

"Irelia, it's alright. I'm not afraid of dying. I just want to let you know that" Her hand rose to the bars. "You're someone special to me alright? I want you to know that."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"How about when I make it through this, we talk about it?" Her face bore an amused smile. She was enjoying watching the torment she was putting her friend through. Irelia brought her hand to match Riven's on the bars.

"Riven, I want to let you know that I…" The words got caught in throat. She swallowed her salvia and pride in one breath and spoke as fast as she could. "I want to let you know that…"

"Once I make it out of this alright? We already spoke about this."

"What if you don't?" She felt the emotion in her voice.

"You made a promise right? You're not going to let me die. I trust you with my life."

Her throat felt swollen. Emotion filled her to her core. She forced a smile.

"But you said you weren't afraid of dying."

"You think that I want to die tomorrow?"

"But you made it sound like you did. You sound like life has no meaning."

"Life does have meaning. I'm looking in the eyes right now."

The words got caught in her ears. She felt warmer inside, and her comment made her cheer up immensely. The smile she bore was no longer forced, it came naturally.

"Thank you Riven. We'll see each other tomorrow right? I need to get back to sleep."

"Of course, and make sure you don't back down on your promise."

She took her hand off of the bars and walked towards the door.

"Goodnight Riven. You sleep well."

"You too, Ionian."

She walked down the hallway and back towards her room. Her steps now filled with purpose, her heart warmed, she felt truly happy. The smile across her face was worn with pride. She knew that there were feelings between her and Riven, but she didn't know what. As she began to fall back asleep in the warmth of her bed, she could only think of tomorrow. She was going to find out what Riven and her had between them.

The sun was only just rising as Irelia awoke. Standing up and walking over to her shower, she felt happy, truly happy, for the first time since she'd awoken inside these walls. She tried to push the fact that Riven was going to be charged today out of her mind, but right now, her body didn't even want to have those thoughts. Steam filled the room, causing the mirror to go grey. After exiting the shower, she got herself dressed with a second set of her armor that she had been provided while the first one was being cleaned. As she walked around her room looking for something to spark an Idea into mind, she heard a banging against her door. As she opened it, she saw the light mage. Her smile was gone, and in its place sat fear.

"Lux, what are you doing? What's wrong?"

Lux grabbed her by the hand, pulled her outside, shut the door, and took off with Irelia in tow down the hallway.

"Irey, you slept in!"

"What about it? It can't be that big of a deal. I just needed some sleep last night."

"Riven's already been charged. She's not going to survive it."

The swelling in her throat returned. Her trial was to be set before sunrise, and she had completely slept through it.

"Riven's going to be killed?"

"Yes. She earned the death sentence. They determined that seeing as you were not here, you were too afraid and that she had caused too much damage to you to even see her face again."

The Ionians strides increased in length and speed, and soon, it was Lux who was in tow. They sprinted in unison down the hallway, towards the entrance. Not another word was spoken between the two girls as they sprinted down the hall. Irelia felt her heart begin to burn. She had promised Riven that she was not going to let her die, and she had failed. She stopped the tears as they tried to make their way across her face. She main doors sat only a hundred feet away now. Her blades fanned down from the railing, and she leapt gracefully down them, rolling as she hit the ground. Lux ran around the stairs, but Irelia wasn't going to wait for her. The main doors opened quickly, revealing a sight that caused Irelia's heart to skip a beat. Riven sat atop a wooden platform, a noose around her neck. Her eyes darted around the crowd, and she knew why.

_She was looking for her._

Irelia stretched her arm towards her, but the platform was an eternity away. Their eyes finally met, and the despair in Riven's eyes now had a tint of happiness.

"Drop her." The words came from a summoner beside her on the platform.

Irelia spared herself one blink, but when her eyes reopened, Riven sat, with eyes closed, dangling in the air, her feet no longer visible.

Her first tear hit the ground before her knees did.


	6. Friendship and promises

Irelia's knees sunk hard into the ground as her body collapsed in defeat. Riven, The Exile of Noxus now hung in the air, noose around her neck. Her fists bore into the ground, trying to find some way of releasing the emotion she had stored inside her. Her eyes were filled with an unwelcome liquid. But no amount of strength prevented the tears from streaming down her cheeks. They pooled up on her nose and dropped down to the ground, and she felt as though she could hear the sound of every one hitting the ground. Behind them they left a salty trail, the path down her cheeks ran as a river, drops hitting like a small rain. Her head thrashed around, launching tears all around her. The grass had loss its green color. It was now a dull green, its bright color gone. Although she tried to look away from the situation, it played in full detail in her mind. Riven sat on the platform, her red eyes showing a wide variety of emotions. Fear, sadness, happiness, all in one glance. Her hand reached out, through the crowd, as if trying to grab her own. Their hands hundreds of feet apart, connected only through their thoughts. A small smile broke upon the face of the fated Noxian before her body dropped down, her life ended. Her body rocked around, her hands at her side. The death had been quick, her spine snapped instantaneously. She would have felt nothing in her final moments. But that wasn't good enough. She had made her a promise. She was going to get her through this. They had so much they still needed to talk about. They were going to talk about what they felt for each other. They had to. She had promised. She had promised. But now, due to one simply mistake, she had resulted in her death. Her fists pushed the ground, and she rose to a stand, her pose a mix between standing proudly, and appearing as though the wind itself would launch her into the air like a sheet of discarded paper. She placed her feet, one in front of the other, toward the Noxians body. The tears no longer clouded her vision. There was going to be a time to mourn. But that was not right now. Right now, she had to apologize. Step by step, she closed the gap between her and the Noxians body. It sat still suspended in the air. The muscles that had once allowed her to swing around and wield her sword with fluent precision had ceased to function. Her body jerked around side to side in the spams of death. Arms and legs swinging around in the air, no longer affected by the environment around her. The sight of this reconfirmed the sadness she felt inside her. The actions didn't fit her. Her actions were trained. Not even in death did her movements seem normal. The distance closed between the two, though the Noxians protests of death had not ended. Her body continued their jerking actions. Irelia had seen death. She had seen far more of it than anyone should ever have to see. And she had felt it herself. But despite having seen so much death, no one ever shuddered this long in their final moments. They had been mere moments, quick bursts of the person who had once been contesting their demise. But people had always ended so much faster. And the closer she got, the more the actions seemed controlled. Finally, as only fifteen feet remained between the depressed Ionian and the platform that ended her friend's life, the Noxians eyes shot open.

"RIVEN" she screamed as loud as her coarse throat would allow

The Noxians eyes found the source, fear the only emotion that was now apparent. Her red eyes still had the same glow that they contained the night before. Her hands rose to her neck, trying to lift her from the noose. But her muscles didn't have the oxygen they needed to function. Her attempts at lifting herself free would never become less futile than they were right now. Irelia's legs popped into action as she dashed at the platform.

"Draven, finish the job please." Came the voice of the summoner who had ordered Riven's execution.

"I've got the best job." Spoke the tall man. His hand in one fluent motion grabbed one of the enormous axes off his back and launched it in a perfect arch towards Riven's midsection. Its blade was a deep black with reflective silver around the outside. The blade spun quickly enough that even the designs on the sides of the blades had become a whirl of color caught in the arch. The axe was also well aimed. She could tell just from the trajectory of the blade that it was going to be somewhere that it shouldn't in several seconds. But that was more than enough. One moment, the axe cleaved the air, its colors a whirling masterpiece. The next it was burrowed to the hilt in the platform, the blade completely hidden inside. The second axe flew even faster, but now that she knew what was coming, it was tossed out of the air with mere ease. As she was about to let to let her guard down, a large, shaded object leap from the crowd on a path towards the Noxian. His axe, standing nearly as tall as he, hung behind his back, poised to slice upon contact. His cape drug behind him in the wind, thrashing side to side as it did. Despite being so heavy due to his heavy armor and large weapon, he managed to leap several feet into the air and with great momentum. But her training had prepared her to counter any sort of opponent, no matter his size. Her blades shot out, gripping his axe and legs, before launching him back into the crowd, causing them to scatter like ashes to the wind. She turned tail and leapt quickly onto the corner of the platform, and she felt the wind breeze alongside her face as she turned around to make sure that nobody else was going to try and end her friend's life. Once she had almost resulted in the death of Riven, and that was already once too many. She felt her blades swing around behind her and cut the noose, and the panicked gasps of air that came shortly afterwards. She didn't hear the noise of Riven crashing to the ground, so she assumed her blades had her suspended in the air. Moments passed like days as time froze to a stop. The dazed on look of the crowd, shocked by the turn of events. The look upon the executioners face, his eyes displaying shock. The summoner who had ordered her friend's death, looking around as though he expected someone else to rise to the challenge of trying to kill her. It felt as though minutes had passed before she heard the sound of Riven's limp body collapsing to the platform, the sounds of her limbs crashing down one by one. She turned around on her heels, her blades floating just over the Noxians head, gliding around in the air softly as though riding on the air itself. She ran over to the collapsed woman, bringing herself to kneel in front of her. She wrapped her arms around her shoulders, pressing the two together. The Noxian had her hands poised firmly around her neck, her deep breaths long and wheezy.

"Riven, are you ok? Can you breathe alright?" She asked the winded exile.

"Yeah, I am. Thank you" she coughed, her breathing irregular and loud "thank you for saving me."

"It's the least I can do. I got you into this mess and I plan to get you out of it. I promised you that last night right? I don't plan to take back on it."

Their short conversation was cut short by the sounds of boards creaking. As she turned her head, she caught sight of a man, wielding a knife in a very inefficient way. His hands shook, the end of the knife painting small circles in the air. His body was small and frail. He looked as though she could've launched him halfway to the plague jungles if she tried hard enough.

"Irelia … I … I want you to … back away from Riven… Right now … alright?"

She had to force herself to not break into an outburst of laughter. She'd stopped two people from killing her already, and she wasn't going to let Riven die now.

"You back away before I send you flying into that crowd without even so much as a second thought." Her voice changing from that of caring and compassion, to stern and forceful. She wouldn't let him lay a hand on her, and she wanted him to know.

"I… I'll stab you too if you don't get out of the way. And don't think that I'm joking. I'm not." His voice wavered, his attempts to hide his fear in his voice failing.

Irelia unwrapped her arms from the panting Noxian, her body turning to face the shaking man. Her posture was tall and frightening. Her shoulders pressed back, her back extended. Karma had taught her this. It was used all the time between government officials as a sign of their serious intentions and respect. But it could also serve as a method of intimidation. She walked towards the short man, her blades whizzing around her body, the red orb in her hand.

"Do you really think that I fear that small knife? I wouldn't use that to cut the bread I eat." Her pose remained strong, her shoulders still pressed back as she approached the man with the quivering hands, his posture now wavering as she approached with no sign of fear. Her steps remained constant, her breathing rhythmic.

"I'm warning you one more time. If you take one step closer, I'll stab you. You… you better step back!"

But his empty threats did nothing to falter the Ionians stride. She walked with pride in her step. She felt proud. She approached the man faster now, who backed up to attempt to avoid a face to face confrontation. But Irelia rapidly increased her pace, closing the remaining distance and grabbing the man's free hand. The sweat poured from the man's face in droves. His posture slumped as he tried to shrink himself, but the grip on his wrist remained firm. The knife was positioned against her breastbone, applying a strange feeling as the tip pushed her skin in ever so faintly. It wavered against cloth shirt she wore. Her armor remained back in her room, as she hadn't had time to throw it on in all the commotion that had occurred.

"What are you going to do? Are you going to stab me? In front of all of these people for standing up for what I want to believe in? If that's the case, your knife is three inches too low and four too far to the right to get into a place where you can actually hurt me."

His expression changed from a false sense of authority behind a wave of fright to a much more acceptant, enlightened one. He knew that he had no hopes of standing up to her in an actual fight. The knife shook around as it hit the ground, alternating between hilt and knife edge as it jittered on the ground.

"I don't know what I'm doing. I don't want to stab anyone."

"Of course you don't." She turned back to face Riven. "Thanks for dropping the knife by the way."

She strode back towards her downed ally, the breath starting to return to her lungs. The Noxians face had begun to recover its color, or what little color that it had. The white-blue skin now returning to a very light tan, her face looking far more human. Irelia lent her hand to Riven, who gladly accepted it to pull herself back to her feet. Her warm smile showed only for a brief second before switching to a face of extreme terror. Her head swiveled around to see a hooded figure, knife in hand, vaulting towards the duo. Irelia's body turned around and her arms outstretched, trying to cover the noxian as well as she could. His figure flew quick from the audience.

"If you want something done, do it yourself!" he yelled in anger as he flew towards them.

"TALON! NOOOO!" Irelia managed to shout. Her blades flew into the air above her, ready to deflect his figure if he got too close. But as he was about to connect, his figure was propelled into the one of the posts that held up the platform, his arm getting jammed inside of one of the triangular supports that connected between the side and top of two beams, and his body wrapped around. The arm contorted into an inhuman shape, clearly broken. The wind also lifted Riven and Irelia into the air, but their preparation was much higher. Irelia's blades managed to intercept the two girls, holding their bodies in the air as the wind pushing them harder and harder into the smooth sides of blades. A gargoyle like shape sat in the audience, his mouth open, obviously the source of the intense wind. The wind ceased after several seconds, dropping the figures down. They both collapsed in awkward shapes, but no more injury was sustained. Talons arm was in critical condition at this point, but his face was hidden from sight by the support pillar.

"Riven are you ok?" Irelia managed to speak as her breath returned to her. The Noxian was face up, laying against the platform. "Do you feel pain anywhere?"

"No, I'm ok. How about you?"

"From what I can feel, not right now." She lied. She felt a pull in her back left shoulder blade. Pain shot out in waves, causing her teeth to clench. She must've pulled it after hitting the ground. The gargoyle appeared and helped the two girls off the ground again, their bodies battered.

"My apologies for catching you in that. You were not supposed to be hit. Are you in pain?"

"Not right now. Thank you for that Galio." His face displayed no emotion

"It's my mistake that this situation got this far. I should've spoken up sooner."

"What do you mean? You should've spoken up sooner?"

"That is not our concern right now. Right now, we must get this situation sorted out."

Behind them, a squad of soldiers in head to toe body armor and weapons of all assortments lined up in two lines, one crouched, with a standing line behind them. A taller man, also dressed in military apparel stood beside them, with three upside down V's on his left shoulder. His voice came out muffled and strong.

"You have caused so much commotion. This was supposed to be a simple execution, and now look what you have done Irelia. Now we need to execute you for assisting a criminal on multiple occasions."

"Sergeant Donavan, She hasn't done anything. Neither one of them have. They're both innocent on the charges placed upon them, and they haven't done anything to deserve this. Step down now."

"Galio, I'm aware that you believe that these girls are innocent, but I need you to step out of the line of fire before you need to put you down as well. Stop making this harder than it needs to be."

"You will not shoot these girls. I know their innocence, and I will not let you take them down now."

"How do you even know your eyes aren't deceiving you? You might not have seen the right thing anyways."

"You think that I haven't watched long enough!" I had to watch my masters corpse, the only person who I had any connection to, rot into a pile of bones in the ground. He was the reason I am here today. He made me, and he was my father. And then he was gone from me in the blink of an eye. I had to watch him die, I had to watch every moment of his death. I had to watch him breathe his last breaths. I had to watch him pass away. I had to watch him rot away into the ground. I had to watch for far too long. If you think that my eyes can deceive me, it is you who is deceived. You need to back down now."

The words seemed to turn the gears inside of the soldiers head, and several moments later, he made a gesture for the rest of his squad to lower their weapons.

"You have made the right choice today Donavan. What I told you earlier was not a lie, and I owe you one."

"Get them out of my sight, before something else happens. Now"

Galio escorted them off the stage and into the building as the commotion of Talon continued on in the background. They slipped inside the building and returned to Irelia's room, galio staying in the doorway.

"You two are going to stay here until you are instructed otherwise. We are going to get you out of this situation, and get your lives back to normal. Is that understood?"

"Yeah it is. But who is we?" Irelia responded with a confused voice

"Everyone who believes and knows of your innocent. Farewell" And with that abrupt ending, he closed the door behind him and left, the sound of his wings flapping slowly quieted and eventually disappeared down the hallway.

The two girls looked back and forth at each other, standing in the middle of the largest part of Irelia's room

"What do we do now?" Spoke the Noxian, her voice still quivering over the fact that five minutes ago, she was about to be shot, stabbed and hung.

"Right now? We do what he said we do. We wait." She replied to Riven. "We sit here, and we wait."

"I can do that with you Irelia. It's time we get to know each other a little better huh?"

Irelia gave her a small smile in return. "Yeah, it is."


	7. Guilty confessions of guilty people

**First off, I'd like to thank you all for reading this and putting forth the time needed to read through all of this.**

**Secondly, would you guys be interested in in me making this M rated and including lemons? Comments would be greatly appriciated :)**

**Thirdly, Im looking for someone to make cover art for me. This story doesn't currently have any. So If any of you would be interested in getting your picture of Irelia or Riven/Irelia over to me, I'll throw it on the cover and give you a huge shoutout. Feel free to PM me a link with the picture and I'll get it on the cover as soon as I can. Its a Win/Win :)**

**Thirdly, is there something in particular that you like about this story? Something that you don't like? If you could let me know, It'd not only make me a better writer, but make this story more entertaining for you guys to read. It helps us both out. So please :)**

**Fourth, is there a certain thing that you want to occur? Your favourite champion not make it in? Let me know and I'll fit him/her in at some point. It helps me improve as a writer which is a part of the reason why I'm here. I truly mean this when I say any comments are invited. Maybe if I fit your champion in, or you give me an idea that I like, I'll fit it in and give you a shoutout, letting you know that your idea was greatly appriciated. (Which means every one serious and do-able of course. Don't say you want a corpse of someone to make a return. I don't I'm that good of a writer... Yet :) It helps me get a plot together so that I can update this faster, and it will become a little more special to you. We both win :)**

**Once, again, thank you, and enjoy the read**

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The two girls sat in the room together, each one waiting for the other one to engage in small talk. Irelia felt all over her body, looking for places where she felt pain. After being launched on the stage, she was certain that she had to have pulled a muscle somewhere. She found the burning sensation that she had been looking for in her shoulder blade, the pain heating up the muscle. She placed her hand against it, pressing it against it to test out the pain. Sharp jolts of pain shot up her spine, tingling her fingers. Her hands dropped away, the pain being simply too much for her to hide. She stood up and walked over to her sink, completely ignoring the other girl. They had agreed to talk just moments ago, but after that, the conversation had died, due to neither part willing to make the first words. Irelia walked over to her fridge and opened up the freezer, the cold causing her to shake ever so slightly. She reached into the back to find some solid blocks of ice, but none of which she could place on her back. They were all too weirdly shaped or too large or cracked or too small. Taking out one piece, she placed the solid, frozen block of ice in her hand and beckoned her blades over. This caught the attention of the Noxian, who asked across the room "what are you doing over there?"

"Just trying to cut up some ice. I think I pulled a muscle when we got launched on the platform. I just want to try and get some ice on it to see if that'll tone it down." It was now where she realized how greedy she was being. "Oh, did you hurt yourself? I completely forgot!"

"I think I sprained a few fingers, and pulled a muscle in my arm, but other than that, I'd say I'm doing perfectly fine. Thank you so very much for asking Irelia. You're too kind."

She threw across the room with a sarcastic voice and an obvious grin.

"Oh, well aren't you just hilarious. Are you actually hurt or are you just trying to get me all emotional?"

"Well, I did pull a muscle in my arm, but my fingers are fine. You're just too cute when you get all emotional."

"Riven, why are you all of a sudden so flirty?" Her blades chiselled away at the ice, cutting the large, uneven block into several small, useable chunks.

"Huh? You think this is flirting? I'm not even trying to flirt with you." Irelia shot tried to shoot back a menacing glare, but her face broke into a smile as she tried.

"Ok, now you're really just messing with me."

"How do you know? I don't take you for the kind of woman who flirts too much."

"Just because I don't flirt doesn't mean I don't know what it means. Can you stop distracting me? I'm trying to get this ice ready and you're distracting me."

"Oh, I'm so sorry that you can't talk and wield a blade at the same time Irelia. I'd just assumed that seeing as you were the will of the blades and such, that you'd be able to control your blades a little better. I'll leave you alone and let you cut your ice."

Irelia took the chunks of ice and wrapped them in a small cloth. She got a second cloth out and poured roughly half of the ice from hers into it. She folded it neatly, giving the larger one to herself before walking over and giving Riven hers. Irelia had been trained in some forms of medical assistance, but that wasn't her job. She had just learned the basics from her parents when she was a child, and a little more once she had begun to take an interest in the military. But most of the healing was done by Soraka, seeing as she did it so well. She could heal 100 wounds in the time it took someone else to do 1 person. She had even saved Irelia from the brink of death when she defended the gates to the Ionian government building.

"Thanks for coming back for me back there Irelia. I didn't think that you would." Riven asked after a few minutes, trying to start a conversation.

"I told you that I would save you. I promised it last night didn't I?"

"Well yeah, you did. But it's hard for me to really trust anyone. I just didn't think that you were really going to do it. I thought that you were just going to show up and try to comfort me. Seeing as we're enemies, its weird to think that you'd actually throw your reputation on the line for me, let alone be willing to die for me."

"All lives are worth saving Riven. It doesn't matter that at one point in time in the books of history that we were once enemies, right now, we're allies. The past is the past, Right?"

"Well, yeah. I guess. But you almost died fighting off my nation, and in a way, you really did. You're willing to forgive and forget that easily?"

"I never really assumed that you were going to be this sentimental Riven. I always took you for being the kind of really strong, independent warrior type who doesn't really talk much."

"There are always two sides to every coin Irelia. Many people just don't know the second side of my coin. I trust you enough to be able to talk to you like a human being. You haven't given me a reason not to."

Irelia felt herself get a little warmer inside. She never even thought about Riven being anything more than what she had heard from others. She was a killer at heart who abandoned Noxus after the Ionian-Noxus war. She never even considered that Riven had a personality to even begin with. Her body began to fill with self inflicted guilt. How could she have been so self centered?

"Thanks Riven, I appreciate it."

"Is that really all you have to say? I give you this heartfelt message and all you say is thanks?" Riven appeared to be trying to be serious, but she was not the best liar that Irelia had come across. Her voice was too high and she spoke too fast to even give the appearance of being annoyed.

"I'm just thinking about something alright?" Irelia said as she got up and walked back over to the counter. Riven continued to sit, poised with her back against the wall.

"What are you thinking about? Are you trying to impress me this hard Irelia?" The quick joke seemed to brighten Irelia's mood. Riven seemingly had a positive aura around her, despite seeming so cruel and cold at first glance. This was never once how she had imagined her.

"Oh yeah, that's clearly it. You've caught me red handed. I surrender."

"You're not as stubborn as I thought you were. You're way more open to your feelings than I thought."

"Hey. Don't get your feelings up quite yet there Riven. I'm not being flirtatious." Then she whispered under her breath "yet".

"Hey, what was that last part? I couldn't quite hear you."

"You weren't supposed to. Are you hungry?" Riven looked back, her face clearly annoyed. But it looked so weird on her face that Irelia couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

"Yeah, I guess that you could say that. But I guess it all depends on what you have to eat." Riven stood up and walked over to the fridge, opening it and looking inside. "You guys eat this stuff? You guys really eat this stuff?"

"Hey Riven, it's what you've got to eat. You can either eat it and stop complaining, or not eat it and stop complaining. Those are your options."

"You're really lucky you're cute Irelia, or I wouldn't hesitate to give you a nice hit to the side of the skull right now."

"Oh, I know. And I quite enjoy doing so. Now are you going to eat it or are you going to suck it up?"

Riven took a small chunk of meat out of the fridge and examined it closely. She glanced over the whole thing before deciding to sit down. Irelia decided she had better things to do other than watch somebody else eat something, so she walked back over to her bed and sat down. The curtains only blocked some of the light, so the room was filled with a golden glow. Effects danced across the floor as the wind threw the blinds side to side.

"Riven, we've almost died too many times in the last few days, haven't we?'

A few seconds passed before a reply came back from the out of sight Noxian

"Way to change the mood huh? Just a few minutes ago you were trying to be all happy and cute. Now you're going all sentimental."

"Yeah, but I've just been thinking. I don't want to live that life anymore. I gave up the life on living on the edge. Waking up everyday and thinking you might die. I don't want to experience that feeling anymore."

"Is that why you joined the league of legends? You are too afraid of dying everyday?"

"I just want my life to mean something. I want to wake up every morning and have something that I feel I should live for. Have someone to live with me. Maybe raise a family one day. I'm not going to be able to experience any of that if I'm dead. I don't want to live that way anymore."

A short silence filled the room

"I never thought someone like you would ever say something like that. You're the will of the blades. And you don't like living every day like you're going to die?"

"Yes, that is exactly what I mean Riven. I don't want to live every day like there's a chance that I am going to die… I don't want to live every day knowing that there's a chance that I won't wake up tomorrow, that I'm leaving the life that I fought for and tried to create to go down and be worth nothing. I want to live my life with a purpose and die with a purpose. That was how I was raised. But there's no reason that I should die before my time has come."

"You're strong willed Irelia. You didn't cave into me. You are a strong woman. I wish I had your form on will. But I don't. I simply hide the fact that I am weak."

"I don't get what you're saying. You are strong."

"Irelia, we all wear masks. We all try to hide who we truly are and we try to be what others want us to be. You should know this of all people. We are who others want us to be. Not who we truly are."

"Yeah, you're right. We aren't really who we want to be, are we?"

"Yesterday, before you left. You said that there was something that you wanted to tell me. What was it that you wanted to say?"

"I just wanted to let you know that… I want to let you know that I think you're a great person. I'm glad I took the time to get to know you. You're not like I expected you to be."

"That is what you wanted to tell me?"

Irelia fought against her emotions. She was telling the truth. She just wasn't telling the whole truth.

"Yes. That was what I wanted to tell you" her hypocritical words rolling off her tongue as smooth as an undisturbed pond.

"Irelia, before I leave for the day, there's something that I need to tell you. Promise me that you will keep this as a secret between the two of us."

"Why would I ever tell anyone else your secrets?"

The Noxian walked around the corner, her posture strong. Irelia realised that she was slumping against the wall, as though what she had just said had taken her energy out. She stammered up, trying to sit up as straight as she could.

"Irelia, I love you." Rivens message came out quick and to the point.

"Riven, I'm not quite…" Her sentence stopped. She had to try and word her sentence so that she didn't sound blunt. Maybe Riven just got all riled up after their conversation. She had to be prepared for whatever the situation might be. "I'm not quite sure how to feel about that."

"It doesn't matter. It wasn't for you to respond to. I just wanted to let you know exactly how I thought about you. Don't feel rushed to respond, and don't think that you're being forced to respond. I just wanted to let you know."

"But we're both women. That goes against what I was raised to think."

"Then you don't have the feel the same way about me. I just wanted to let you know that you mean something to me. If I didn't say how I felt, how much of a hypocrite would I be right now?"

"Thanks Riven. But I'm not quite sure I feel the same way about you. That one time in the hospital room was… It was just because of how escalated things were. It felt like something. But now, I just don't feel the same way. I'm so sorry."

Rivens eyes shot to the floor before returning back up. "It's fine. I thought that maybe you might've felt something for me. I thought that maybe we would've had something after all that happened. But I know not that there is no way I'm going to break your will. You know what you want, and I trust that."

"Riven, I'm so sorry. I didn't want to have to hurt you this way. But, emotions are all weird, and I'm not quite sure how to do this without hurting you."

"It's fine. I'll just leave. We cannot go back to the way that we were before, now that you know how I feel. But can we try to be as normal as possible? I can't make you feel the same about me, but maybe someday, you will. People need dreams to give them reasons to carry on."

Irelia stood up and walked over to the Noxian and wrapped her arms gently around her shoulders, pulling the Noxian closer and placing her head on the shoulder. She turned their heads away and closed her eyes. The Noxian returned her grasp, pulling them close together.

"Riven, I'm still trying to find out exactly who I am, what I am. Don't give up on your dreams. If you give up on them, how will they ever come true?"

"Thanks Irelia. You really are a great person. And thank you for not putting it rudely"

The two sat embraced for what felt like hours before Riven eventually released her grasp and took a few steps back.

"Don't give up on my dreams huh? Can I at least have some confirmation that there are hopes for us? Maybe one day, you'll change your mind?"

"Yeah, there's always a chance. You've just got to promise not to give up hoping, and one day, maybe there will be something between us."

"I'm going to head back to my room. Hopefully I'll find you tomorrow."

"Yeah, let's hope."

Riven walked out of the room, closing the door with almost no noise at all. Irelia just stood in the middle of her room, unsure of exactly how she was supposed to feel about this all. She walked over to the door, made sure it was locked, and then walked into her bathroom. She let all her clothes slip to the ground before turning on the water. As she stepped in, her mind was immediately filled with memories of what had just happened.

"How am I supposed to feel about you Riven? What am I supposed to feel?"

She smashed her arms against the wall of her shower, trying to make sense of it all. She wasn't sure how she felt. A part of her wanted to love Riven. They had something together. Why had she fought to save her life so hard? Why did Riven have the strength to admit this to her? Why had she not contested back in the hospital room? So many questions flowed through her head, but answers didn't. She left her room and threw on a change of clothes before leaving her room and walking down the hallway. She walked down the hallway until she came to a room with a small symbol of Demacia sitting on the door. She gave a quick knock and waited for the door to open.

"Hey Irey, what brings you here?"

"Hey Lux, mind if I come inside for a few minutes? There are a few things that I want to ask you about real quickly."

"Sure. You're always welcome here" she said before opening the door and beckoning Irelia inside. The door closed behind them.


	8. Light

**Once again, thank you to everyone who has made it this far through the story. Its your guy's view count that truly motivates me to write. Its corny and has been said by everyone, but it's nice to know that you're making something that people like. It's like a positive re-enforcement. **

**Also, in this chapter, I make slight little cases of foreshadowing. They're really subtle and I might miss them on the first way through. But check out for the wording on some of the phrases. It might not make sense on purpose. As a little puzzle, see if you can find them. **

**Have a great morning/day/evening/night/knowing you shouldn't be up but you are/ :)**

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The door swung shut quietly behind them as the two girls entered Lux's room. The room was covered in lights and symbols of demacian pride. Banners, Pictures, alongside several trophies were common sights along the walls. Pictures of her along with other members of demacia were along the wall. A portrait of her was larger than the others, showing a picture of her face along with her title "Luxanna Crownguard, The Lady Of Luminosity, Demacian Infiltrator." This came off as kind of weird to Irelia, as she had never really assumed that the light mage would be an infiltrator.

"Hey Lux, your picture displays that you are a Demacian Infiltrator. Is that true?"

"It sure is Irelia. Do you like the room?"

Irelia looked around the room for a few more seconds, taking in how much nicer it looked that her own. It was well lit up with fully adjustable blinds being able to let in 99% of light and block out 99%. Very expensive, but the cost would be miniscule to a champion of the league, and even less for the daughter of demacia. Her bed was placed against the wall opposite her kitchen. Everything else was hidden behind a wall that was located at the end of the room. She took off her sandals and placed them gently beside the door. Lux walked her way across the room and opened up her fridge, ducking down behind her counter and leaving sight. Irelia looked at the pictures on the wall before gave a question from across the room. In her hand she held a bottle of something; the label was simply too far away from her to read.

"Do you drink wine Irey? This bottle is 5 years old, so I'm hoping it'll be good."

"Well, yeah. Of course I do. But what is the big occasion? Why are you going to open it?"

"I don't quite know. I was just wondering if you drank wine. It's kind of an experiment. But anyways, it'd be rude of me not to offer some to you now." She went and got two cups before opening and pouring the wine. She then offered one of the one quarter filled glasses to Irelia.

"Thank you Lux, but I'm really not quite sure exactly what you're doing this for."

"Is it bad for me to try and be kind? Hmm?"

"Well no, but you're really doing this all to be kind?"

A small grin spread across Lux's face. "Well, no. Not quite. But for the most part, yes I did. Now would you like to take a seat? You came here to talk to me didn't you?" Lux made a motion to several chairs that were originally hidden from her sight when she first entered the room. Irelia walked over and sat down, taking a quick drink before starting her words.

"The truth is, I didn't really have anything that I really truly needed to talk to you about. I just wanted to talk to you and thank you for getting me up that one morning. I never had time to thank you before, so I decided I would do it now."

"Hm. You're Ionian. I don't mean to sound like I'm stereotyping you guys, but you always have something important to say if you mean it. You're hiding something from me. What are you hiding?"

"I'm not hiding anything; I just wanted to thank you for waking me up. I don't quite think that Riven would be alive and breathing right now if you hadn't gotten me up. So I want to thank you for indirectly saving her life."

A quick smirk came across Lux's face as she caught on to the hint of the discussion.

"This has something to do with Riven, doesn't it? That's why you're here. You wanted me to give my opinion on something that had occurred between you two, but you backed out and tried to cover your trail."

Irelia gave a suspicious look to the light mage. Not because she was wrong, but because she had gotten that much from a quick apology.

"Well, you are somewhat right there, but I promised to keep it between just us too, and I'm not going to break my word."

"Well, that's a good trait to have. I'm proud of you. Just don't forget that I'll always keep whatever you tell me secret alright?" She said with a smile

"Of course you will. Thank you for the offer Lux."

"Also, I'm rather certain that you've heard about the upcoming tournament haven't you?"

"Not that I've heard of recently. How come?"

"They're going to be hosting a tournament. Well, two of them if we're going to be more precise. One of them is a tournament to be controlled by summoners. The other one is going to be much more personal. It's still simulated, meaning that you will still never die. It's more of a grudge match if you think about it.

"What do you mean it is a grudge match? I don't quite get what you mean."

"Well, inside of this simulation, you control yourself. And you take actual damage, unlike in normal games."

Sudden Shock hit Irelia. "What is the point of these? What are they supposed to mean?"

"They're a grudge match between champions. All champions will be forced to participate as well."

"This seems absolutely useless. Why are we encouraging such violence?"

"I'm not quite sure, Irelia. I asked Jarvan what he thought about it, and he also seemed to be angry about it. But it has been decided by the head summoners and owners of the institute of war, and we're forced to obey it."

"That's just a terrible idea. You don't condone this idea do you?"

"I think that this conversation is getting too heated too fast. Do you want to go and grab something to eat? I haven't eaten today, and it seems like a smart idea before we go to sleep for the night." Lux asked in her normal perky voice as she downed the last of the red liquid.

"Yeah, that would be great. Thank you Lux."

The two left the room, leaving nothing but silence behind.

They walked through the hallways down towards the canteen, exchanging jokes and kind comments between each other, trying to lighten the mood. Irelia decided that it was nothing that she needed to worry about and that she would much rather spend time talking to the perky girl beside her. Just simply being around her made her feel better and within moments, she felt much happier than she had a short time ago. Arriving at the canteen, the face of tryndamere appeared behind the counter.

"We'll take two of whatever you have left. Also, what are you doing back there tryndamere? Isn't your turn at the food counter supposed to be over?" Questioned Lux with her normal, happy tone

"I got an extra week for lashing out at rumble after a game that he lost us." Replied the barbarian king as he scooped out two small plates of corn, rice, potatoes and a strange looking piece of meat of to both before handing them over.

"Thank you Tryndamere, and sorry for your terrible duty." Responded Lux as Irelia trailed behind, keeping silent. Lux was a great talker, and she enjoyed doing so, so Irelia let her do all the talking.

The duo walked over to an empty table in the barren cafeteria and sat down.

"So Irelia. How do you like it here at the institute? You got here a while after some of us did. So how are you liking it?"

"It's a decent place, but I'm a bit homesick. I know I'll get over it, but I miss my wooden house that I owned back there. It doesn't seem like home here. But I'll get over it. How are you liking it?"

"I love it here. It takes some getting used to, but eventually you will learn to love it. It'll grow on you, I promise" she replied with a smile.

"Are you afraid for those competitions? The ones where you can actually be injured?"

"Let's not talk about those, ok? It makes you frown, and you don't look as cute when you're frowning." Irelia put a smile on her face.

"You're right. We shouldn't be worrying about that right now." Irelia poked at the meat with a fork and she filled her mouth with vegetables.

"How was life back in Ionia? I've only been there on business, but I never really got to enjoy it."

"It's beautiful. I guess that's kind of biased isn't it?" She said with a laugh. "But it is a beautiful place full of great people. It's a little bit different than other places by the way we dress and the way we act, but I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. What about Demacia. Is it as nice as the rumours say?" She said as she cut off a piece of the meat.

"Oh yeah, Demacia is nice. It's very pretty once you get there and look around. I love it there, but probably not as much as I'd love Ionia. I've read books on it. I was thinking about maybe moving there one day."

"You're more than welcome to move to Ionia any time that you want to. We would welcome you with open arms."

Lux cut a small piece off of her meat and placed it in her mouth. Her face cringed up as she forced herself to down it.

"Don't take a bit from that meat. I'm not quite sure what it is, but it seems way too bitter." Irelia took a small chunk of the meat and placed it in her mouth. She crushed it carefully with the back of her molars and swallowed it. The taste was refreshing, and it tasted like something she would eat back at home. "I'm not quite sure that it's that bad Lux. Maybe it's just a bad piece of the meat?"

"It could be. Would you mind if I took a bit of that, see if it's any better?

Irelia cut off another small chunk of meat and placed it on her fork before handing it over to Lux. She examined it quickly before biting it off the fork delicately and slowly.

"Yours is much better. Thank you Irelia."

"I would ask to test yours, but based on your facial reactions, I'll take your word for it and pass." She said with a grin

The two finished off their meals and, after a quick farewell to Tryndamere, walked back to Lux's room. As she was half in the door and Irelia was about to return to her own, Lux tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hey Irey, do you think that one day, you could show me Ionia? Just bring me there for a week or something, just so that I can see what it looks like?"

Irelia's mind processed the situation. Lux was a kind person, and declining her offer would seem rude. But she wasn't sure that Lux really wanted to go there, or what her real intentions were. But the girl was as innocent as one girl could be.

"I would love to Lux. But don't you think that someone such as Xin Xhao could bring you instead? It would be much more emotional with someone like him, and you'd both learn the landscape instead of just one of us. It's a beautiful place, and it's somewhere that everyone should see."

"I appreciate the offer, but I would much rather appreciate it if you brought me instead. Do you think you could do that?" She asked with a chime in her voice.

"Well then certainly Lux. I would love to."

"Well then, hopefully I'll see you tomorrow then!" Lux's smile grew broader as she said her farewell. The door closed behind her and a soft jumping noise was heard behind the door. Irelia decided that maybe she should think about what this meant; there was only one thing in the world that mattered to her right now, more than anything else. She entered her room and closed the door behind her, making sure that it was properly locked. Walking over to her small bedroom, she took off her vest and pants and placed them neatly on the hooks adjacent from her bed, before tucking herself in and closing her eyes. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.


	9. Suspicion

**This chapter had a strange way of writing to it. I had to get this idea down somewhere before I wrote the next part. It was supposed to be a short and uneventful chapter. Also, there's more foreshadowing in this chaper, so good luck finding it. :)**

**Have a great morning/day/evening/night/you know you shouldn't be up but you are**

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Irelia let out a long, deep sigh as she peacefully woke up for the first time in days. Her single bed was small, but it served its purpose well. She sat up, grabbing her garments off the wall, but noticing that several wrinkles in the arm were missing, and her right sleeve didn't have a pulled piece of string on it. Back in Ionia, you learned how to pay attention to the small details very quickly through meditation, and it came in handy more often than one would suspect. Even the smallest of things were more than enough to set her off. Things such as slight colour disfigurations in drink, misplacement of objects that had been delicately placed in a certain position earlier, missing objects or details in certain objects, and she loved this trait immensely. She wandered over to her bathroom and turned on the hot water. She washed it over her face and hair, making sure that she looked presentable for whatever this day might bring to her. She walked back over to her fridge and opened up the door. Immediately something set her off. Inside were small portions of whatever meat she had eaten last night, almost a full plate of vegetables, and a small glass of thick red juice. But she didn't bring any of this back with her. She remembered eating this last night.

"Who was around me last night?" She thought aloud. There was Lux, who was obvious, Tryndamere, who if he was found in Irelia's room, not even undying rage could stop him from dying from Ashe's intense barrage of questions. There was Heimerdinger at the other end of the room, but he was too busy doing whatever science he was doing over there to have even noticed that the world continued spinning. No one else was visible to her, and if they wanted her dead, why would they have brought her food and a clean change of clothes? Something was off. Irelia got changed into a vestment provided to her by the institute of war, took the new imposter change of clothes from the wall and the food from her closet, and left her room in a hurry.

Down at the summoner's office, the room was suddenly filled with the reverberating noise of the doors at the other end. They raised their eyes from their legal papers to see an Ionian walking towards them with a change of clothes and several containers of food.

"Irelia, what a nice but strange sight to see you here on this fine morning. What brings you down to our study at this hour?" Irelia stopped and gave herself a few seconds to catch her breath.

"I would like it if you guys could do a check on these, if possible. I believe someone may have been in and tampered with my room."

"Now what leads you to assume that?" He said with a beckoning gesture for her to hand over the belongings.

"My room was locked last night, but these things were out of place. Not just out of place, but replaced. I quite remember what I did last night. These were not something of my doing. I'd like to know if the food has been poisoned or the clothes bugged."

The summoner who had taken her belongs looked them over for a few seconds, before placing them back on the table, before them back on the table.

"Your food is certainly fine. It has not been poisoned or tampered with in any way. It is perfectly edible. But your clothes have been tampered with. Within several lines of thread, a small recording device was found. Although it bears to markings, I can confirm that it is indeed a voice recording device."

"Is there any way of finding out what it says?"

"It's simply you saying who was around me last night. That is all that it has on it. It's very new. You are right to assume it was from last night."

"Is there any way that I can find out who would have bugged this? Do we have a way of finding out?"

"Sadly, that is the one thing that I cannot help you out on behalf of this. That is a question that you must answer for yourself. But based on the look on your face, I suspect that you already have a suspect in mind. If you would like, the sheriffs of Piltover would be more than willing to help you out. I am sorry about these circumstances. You have been living a very busy few days. Stress may be your downfall."

"Thank you for caring about me. Now I am going to go get changed and ask a certain person some very important questions." She bowed to the summoner. "Thank you for your time."

The summoner simply replied with a nod and a "same to you, Irelia."

Irelia returned to her room and quickly changed. She was contemplating going to her bathroom, but if someone had bugged her clothes, that would be the second place they would bug. So she simply changed in the middle of her room. She was still wearing her undergarments, but she felt much more exposed knowing that someone may be watching her. She placed her provided clothes neatly on her bed, gave herself a deep breath and began her search.

* * *

Several hours later, she heard a voice in her mind.

"You are being summoned. We are providing you with three minutes to arrive before consequences are implemented."

"I really don't have time for this." The thought passed through her mind as she ceased her search and began her movement towards the summoning rooms. They were about a minute away at a walk, so she took her time, looking for the person she suspected of bugging her room. If it was true, and they had done it, there would be no forgiveness. The tall doors to the summoning chambers appeared in front of her, and she opened them easily. Inside, sat the small bed. The same bright lights and metal design were in the room, and nothing had appeared to have changed. The right light shone over her. The mandatory scanning process was the thought that came to mind. She placed her hand over her back and felt the relaxing feeling of the cool metal of her blade. After the light had disappeared, she walked over and relaxed on the bed, thinking of her life back in Ionia, and the life she led right now.

Once she returned to consciousness, she was not in the beautiful map of summoner's rift, but rather in what seemed light a never ending dark room that she couldn't see any ending too. It was simply a very poorly lit plain of darkness. Looking around, trying to see something that gave her a hint to what she was doing. Instead, all she saw was the light blonde hair and small, curvaceous body of the lady of luminosity.

"What are you doing here Lux? I thought I was being summoned to the fields of justice."

"Not quite. You were being summoned. But you weren't being summoned to the fields of justice. I'm sorry for not letting you know in advance."

"What are we doing here? What is this place?"

"How do you ask so many questions Irey?" The petite girl said with a giggle. "Just listen for a couple seconds."

True to her words a voice appeared seemingly from nowhere moments later.

"Welcome, to testing protocol 00-01. Calibration." The voice spoke in a monotone, robotic voice. "You have been summoned here, Irelia, by the request of the lady of luminosity, with a request. First off, we must ask you to step at least 15 feet away from your partner and close your eyes."

"What is he talking about Lux? Who is he?"

"It will be explained soon. Just do as he says."

Irelia took the 15 feet away slowly and carefully. Once she arrived and closed her eyes, she heard sounds of metal clinking, boots scraping, orders being shouted. She began to feel her heart beat against her chest. Fear was sinking in. She didn't want to open her eyes. The footsteps grew louder, orders being yelled now. Sounds of weapons being drawn. Just as they were seemingly overtop of her, they stopped. All of the sound just vanished. Out of mind, out of sight.

"Congratulations, Irelia. You have passed calibration. Feel free to open your eyes."

As she opened her eyes, the blackness that she had been dropped into was gone, being replaced by what seemed like a meadow. Lux stood at the same distance that she was at before she had closed her eyes, her face bearing her ever-present smile.

"Now Lux, I feel as though you have some explaining to do."

"This is the land of champions. These are the lands that summoners cannot set eyes onto. The tests you were just put through were tests designed to calibrate your nerves and senses. See, in this area. You are you. But you aren't. This is merely a copy of you. Strange huh?"

Irelia looked at her hands and feet and moved around. Her body reacted perfectly to what she gave for orders. "So what is the whole point of all of this? Why did you drag me here?"

"Remember when I said that we were going to have tests that were more than just summoner's rift games? Well, this is it. This is what I was talking about. In this world, you will take the damage that you receive. You're no longer held down by the skill level of your summoner or your cool downs or mana costs. If you don't believe me, watch this." The mage threw out a prism of lightning that connected with Irelia, and immediately her body became constricted. Sounds of burning appeared all over her body and her mind shook with pain. Soon, the binding released her, and she slumped to the ground.

"What was that Lux? Why did you do that?"

"I'm sorry Irey. I just had to show you that it was real. Any damage you take in here will actually appear on you. Your health bar is whatever your determination to keep standing up is." The mage extended a hand, which Irelia took. Getting back on her feet, she looked over her body. The burn marks were small, but they didn't heal up like they did back in summoner's rift.

"Lux, this is scaring me. Can we get out of here?"

"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were scared. Map, close."

Small lights shot out of the walls and ceiling, and soon, the world vanished.

Irelia awoke on the same bed she had laid down on, which was a welcome sight. She sat up, looking over her limbs. The burns that had been on her body earlier were gone. That was one truly disturbing dream. But the thought flowed through her mind. What was the point of that? Why had Lux summoned her there? There was a reason, Irelia was sure of it. But she had no idea what the point of it was. Only time will tell. Moments later, the door opened, and the little light mage sat in the doorway.

"Are you ready to go Irey? We've got places to go today, and the sooner we can get going, the better."

"Yeah…" Irelia's mind returned to the thought that she might be under surveillance right now. "Yeah, I guess I'm ready to go. I've got nothing better to do today anyways. So why not right?"

A smile appeared on the Demacians face as she said with a smile. "Alrightly then. Let's go." The two girls left the room and began heading down to the lobby.


	10. More than friendship

**Hey everyone. This is a bit of a different chapter, as it hints towards something else that I might include later on in the story, but I'm still debating it. **

**Also, I might slow down on the production of these chapters as my finals are coming up very shortly. Other than that, not too many large announcements to be made**

* * *

The duo approached the magnificently decorated lobby with ease. The entire trip down the enormous hallways took them less than two minutes. Once they arrived at the lobby, they approached the young female receptionist who greeted them with a smile.

"Hello ladies, how may I help you today?"

"We would like information regarding the tournaments that we have been told will be occurring later on this month. Do you think you can help us out with it?" Asked Lux.

"Well of course I can. Is there anything in particular that you girls are looking for, or do you just want an overview of what is going on?" She replied with the happy voice that she was being paid to use.

"Well, we're mostly looking for information about the champions tournament."

"Oh. Of course you are. What is it that you guys would like to know about it?"

"Is there a way to take yourself out of it? Can you remove yourself from the list of contenders?"

"Sadly, that is not something that you can do. You are being forced to attend this tournament. I don't make the rules, Lux. I simply follow them. If there were a way to take you guys out of this, I'd do it in a heartbeat. But the head summoners are determined that this event is going to occur, come hell or high waters, and they will not accept anything else."

"Is this the decision of solely the head summoners, or are there some other pieces that are being played in this? Have any champions been a part of this decision?" Asked Irelia, hoping to find someone to ask what they were thinking when they decided that making this tournament was a smart idea.

"No. They just said that they were going to use it one day, and then that was the decision that they stuck with. No amount of coaxing will get them out of it. We're going to have to play it out and see how it works out."

"Well, can you at least tell us the day that this is tournament begins on? Maybe we can get a head start on the other champions and know in advance seeing as the date itself hasn't been publicly announced."

"Yes, that I can do. Let me see here." The receptionist looked around in the papers on her desk. "It is going to occur three days from now at 1PM."

"Thank you." Irelia said with a forced smile.

"I hope you guys do well. I'll be rooting for you when you're out there."

"Don't be. I know that I won't be." Irelia said as she turned her back and walked back towards the staircases that led away from the reception area, leaving Lux behind. She quickly realized that her friend was walking away and quickly caught up, walking beside her.

"Irelia, you aren't really going to go along with this are you? You're not just going to force yourself into doing this?"

"Lux, there are some points in your life when you must give up. You're not a child, you understand this already. And while I do respect your ability to look up in every situation, you have to learn when you stray away and when you have to walk in line. Some times, stepping too far away from that line will do nothing more than getting you in trouble. It's something that we all learn. And this is one of those times. We have to try our hardest, and hope that we can get eliminated from this as fast as we can."

"Why do you want to get eliminated from this? Don't you want to win?"

Irelia looked to her side, and then looked down the railings to the training areas beneath them. Champions were practicing their techniques with intensity. Some were practising in hand to hand combat, some were training with their weapons. But they were not talking. They all had determination. They wanted to win.

"Lux, have you ever been forced to take a life?" She asked suddenly.

"Well, no, I guess I haven't."

"Then I can't expect you to understand the feeling you get when you take someone else's life. It's not a feeling that I enjoyed years ago, and it is not one that I will take now. And all though we do it all the time on the fields of justice, it doesn't even compare to what it really feels like. It's not a kind of feeling that you can simply forget about over one night, one week, one day, one month, one year, one lifetime. They're not doing this for a test. That would be accomplishing nothing. This is trying to see if we're all still warriors."

"What do you mean? We're all still warriors. Most of us were never warriors before we joined the league. I haven't even injured someone before in my life. How would I be a warrior?"

"Lux, do you really think that they chose you to be a champion for the league of legends by putting your name in a bowl and you got randomly selected? That's not how this whole thing works. You were chosen to be a champion for the league of legends because you were a warrior. Something inside you was a warrior. That's why they made the league of legends. So that that part of you became apparent. And now you were a strange pick up. You're the kind of person who wouldn't dare hurt a fly. But others like myself are much more apparent. We have been warriors from the day that our lungs were taking in air and our heart was beating. But the point of the league of legends remains the same. They want you to become a warrior. They want you to fight in the league of legends, not as a diplomat, or a chef, or a pirate. They want you to fight as a warrior. That is what the point of all of this is. Those sick people."

The light in Lux's eyes dimmed "Irelia, what do you mean? You're making no sense."

"Some times, Lux, life just really doesn't make sense. My apologies if you don't get what I just said. I don't even think I know what I just said. Anyway, we are allowed to leave the premise right?"

"Well, yeah of course we are. We aren't going to be summoned for the next three days, so whatever we do is up to us."

"Let's go get something to eat in town. I'll pay for it. Consider it my gift to you."

"Yeah, let's do that. It sounds like a great idea."

* * *

The trip to the town was more calming than she had first presumed. The autumn had changed the shades of the trees to many different shades of green, orange, red and yellow. Fallen leaves littered the sides of the roads, along with the side walk. They walked side by side, the orange glow of the sun setting and reflecting off the hills filling everything with an orange tint. They arrived in town and walked around, looking for somewhere to get something to eat. The people who lived here looked at them and greeted them politely, and one even asked for an autograph, which they calmly accepted. Champions and summoners were the only ones who were allowed down the road that connected the two locations, and those who were caught were punished. It could range anywhere from being sent back to town, to extreme cases where the punishment was lethal. The guards who monitored the institute of war were ruthless and cold, and would do whatever means they deemed necessary to keep it safe. They looked around for a while before stopping by a small ice cream stand and quickly ordering. They thanked the employee and left a generous tip before returning back to the institute. This time, instead of returning back to the institute by the side walk, they walked down by the river, which was a light, calming shade of blue. She ripples in the water and the calming noises of water clashing with the walls of the riverbank calmed Irelia and she almost forgot about the upcoming tournament.

"Hey Irelia, I have a question if you don't mind me asking."

She finished a bit of her ice cream before she responded. "You're free to ask Lux, I don't mind."

"What is the whole relationship between you and Riven? I mean, you guys seem like friends on the outside, but there's something more between you."

"What do you mean Lux? There's nothing else between us." She replied, lying straight through her teeth. "Who told you that?"

"Oh, word travels quickly. You guys just seem like more than friends. I don't know why."

"Well, even if we were, would it damage whatever relationship that we have. I mean, even if there was something between us, it wouldn't matter would it."

"No, why would it? It's just that well, I'm curious by nature, and I just wanted to know."

Irelia looked over to see the mage playing with her hair. "So anyway, let's change the subject. Who do you have your eyes set on?"

"I don't really look at that many people. I quite enjoy being alone most of the time, despite my social position back in demacia. I only really hang around with a small amount of people."

"Are you trying to beat around the question Lux?" Irelia pressured, revealing her playful side. "What aren't you telling me?"

"I'm telling you everything. You don't believe me?"

"Oh, I believe that you're telling the truth. You're just not telling the whole truth."

A quick moment of silence appeared between the two.

"Hey Irelia, were you being serious when you said that there was nothing going on between you guys?"

"Yes, I am Lux. Why do you keep asking?"

"I overheard one of yours and Rivens conversations."

Irelia's heart nearly made an audible thud.

"Oh you did? What did you hear?"

"It was mostly just Riven talking. Something about love and you in the same sentence, but after that I didn't hear much. I was in a hurry to get back to my room and I heard you guys talking."

Lux was the one who had planted the bugs in her room. She could say that with one hundred and ten percent certainty. She was almost sure it was Lux earlier, but if she had assumed that and she had been wrong, then she would look like a terrible person, and that might've ruined their friendship right then and there. But not it was certain.

"Hey Lux, I want to know why you placed those bugs in my room the other day before we keep this conversation going."

"I overheard you and Riven talking, and I wanted to find out exactly what was going on between you two. Please don't get mad at me. I just wanted to make sure that you guys were all right. That you were all right." Her voice sounded scared.

"So you decided that you were going to bug my room instead of asking me? That sounds so unlike you."

"I'm so sorry Irey. I didn't think before I did it. I just wanted to make sure that you were all right. I wasn't certain that Riven was innocent, and I thought she might've wanted to hurt you. I was afraid for your safety. But then I heard your guy's conversation."

"So what is the big deal about it? We might be a little bit more than friends? How does it concern you? What I do behind closed doors is my own business and mine alone. So what if I don't quite follow the straight and narrow. I feel something for Riven, and it's something nice. I hope you can understand where I am coming from."

The light mage shot her a look. "You're right Irey, what you do behind closed doors is your own business. I shouldn't be intruding on it. I think that you and Riven would make quite a nice couple actually." Her voice returning back to its normal, comforting tone, before she muttered something incomprehensible under her breath.

"What was that Lux? I didn't quite understand you."

"Oh, I just stubbed my toe against a rock. It's no big deal."

"Oh, are you ok? Is it something that you might want to get checked out?"

"No, I'll be fine. If it gets worse, I will go get it checked out. I promise."

"I can carry you back if it hurts too much for you to walk on it."

"I'm not as weak and delicate as you think I am, Irey. I can walk on my own for right now. You don't have to carry me. You have enough on your shoulders anyway right now huh?" She said with a wink.

"You're not going to tell anyone about that are you Lux? I trust you not to tell anyone. It hurts me enough to know that you spied on me, I don't want everyone in the league to know."

"It's ok Irey. I'm not going to tell anyone else. I don't want to have any other reason for you to be mad at me. And I'm really sorry for implanting those bugs in your room. I brought you food to show it was out of kindness, and that I was just watching out for you. I didn't mean it to invade on your privacy."

"Thank you Lux. It's nice to have someone like you as a friend. I appreciate that you're looking out for me, but next time, just ask. I'll tell you anything you need to know."

"Thanks Irey. I appreciate it." She said with another barrage of muttering.

"Are you feeling all right Lux? Is your foot really hurting that much?"

The mage looked up with pink in her cheeks. "No, I'm actually quite fine. Can I use your arm to balance myself though? It's kind of painful."

She looked over with a strange look on her face, but extended her arm, which the delicate girl grabbed on to. She supported herself using her friends arm and they walked back to the institute, leaving behind them nothing but the wind and the trees.

* * *

**Also, I'm just curious. Which one do you guys like more? Riven X Irelia or Lux X Irelia? I'm kinda torn between the two after writing this chapter. What do you guys think about it? Leave it in a review if you feel like it. I want to know what you guys think about it**


	11. Announcement

Hey guys, I just wanted to let you guys know why my writing has been getting much more common and much worse. Over the last few chapters I don't quite like where I have gotten myself thus far in the story, and I cannot help but feel as though it has reflected in my writing. I've been grinding out chapters trying to get out of the situation that I am currently in, and its been affecting the quality of my work. I want to let you guys know that this will not persist, as I'm going to create a large shift in the direction of the story shortly, and I feel as though it should revive my love for this story. I do not hate this story, and I don't plan on ending it. I just don't quite like the whole situation that I have gotten myself in. I didn't plan this part out, but I have planned out the next half of the story. So I'd like to ask you guys a question. If you've read thus far, can you let me know if you feel like my writing, ideas and grammar have gotten worse? If it's possible, I'd like some feedback, just to find out if it actually has affected my writing for the worse. Feel free to leave any feedback, positive or negative, as it will only better me as a writer. I'll try to get back to you guys either on the next chapter, or the one following. I've also begun to run out of ideas for this part, and I'm really just trying to get out of it. It's a bad place for a writer to get into, but it's my first fan fiction, and I knew it would be bumpy along the way. Sorry I'm making you guys suffer through this. I really am. Anyways, trying to get off of that topic, I have managed to incorporate some M rated material somewhere into the whole plot of this story, so expect that to occur in maybe 5-8 chapters, depending on how long I decide to write them. I won't let you guys know who it's between, so keep reading ;). Anyways, I hope that you guys have a nice morning, day, evening, night, you know you shouldn't be up but you are, and I hope you guys have managed to slug through my writing thus far. It will get better, I just need to get my spirits back into this story, and get done my finals which are in 1 week.

Also, I'm still looking for a cover art, because I can't just take one off of the internet and use it, as that is a copyright issue and I don't want to get involved with it. So if you guys feel as though you have an Irelia or Rivelia or Irelia X Lux picture that you'd like to make for me or you have just kicking around somewhere, it would mean so much to me. Anyways, thank you so much for reading, and expect another chapter sometime soon.


	12. Bonds strengthen and shatter

**Hey guys, just wanted to give you an update on how my writing is going. I've managed to make it through the really hard part of the story, and it should only be going uphill from here. It took me a little longer to write this part than it took me to write the other ones, but I hope that's alright. Also to those of you who were hoping that this was going to be a Rivelia fanfiction, it's really starting to look more and more towards Irelia X lux for every chapter that I write. They just seem like a much better pair to me, but I'm still wondering about it. Let me know what you guys think. I know several of you have expressed what you thought all ready, and I really like the feedback, but do you guys ship Irelia X Lux? Would you be ok if I wrote it like that? I'm just curious. If the feedback goes into the favor of Riven X Irelia, than I will gladly make it so. Let me know what you guys think in the reviews, and I'll consider the feedback and change the story accordingly. Make yourselves heard!**

**Anyways, It's getting late and I really should be getting ready for bed, so have a great morning, day, evening, night, you know you shouldn't be up but you are, and once again, thanks for reading. :)**

* * *

2 days after the events of chapter 10

* * *

The light of the sun filled Irelia's room once again as she woke up, sitting up as she felt her forehead. She had taken a blow training last night from Garen as she walked behind him without letting him know, and subsequently taking an elbow to the face. He apologized and offered to take her to go see a doctor, but she politely declined and went herself. Akali had determined that she had not broken anything, but that she should take a day off to rest. She stood up and got herself dressed, throwing on her standard Ionian vestment. She entered her bathroom, splashing her face with warm water, forcing her body awake. After checking what she had in her fridge and coming out empty handed, she left her room, solidly half awake. The buzzing in her head persisted, but she couldn't let that stop her. She looked down to see Riven training, practicing her blade techniques against a dummy. She wandered down the hallway towards the cafeteria looking down at every training area she passed by hoping to see something interesting. She saw multitudes of champions training in their own ways. Most of them were split up into their home factions, but some of them trained where the resources were adequate. Nami, for example, trained along side the Ionians, Syndra trained with the Noxians. She saw the champions of Piltover, all of whom were training together. In the days before the champion's tournaments, champion's schedules became disorganized and chaotic. In these days, you were eating, sleeping, or training, sometimes even two of these at the same time. She made her way over to the cafeteria to see the face of the barbarian king once again, apparently still on cafeteria duty.

"Shouldn't someone else have taken your spot doing this Tryndamere? Shouldn't you be training right now?"

"Yeah, I should be. But they won't let me off for any amount of time. I asked them, and they said that I must do the duty that I was told to do. If you ask me, they're picking favourites. I hate them more and more everyday. Anyways, what are you having?"

"I'll just take whatever everyone else is having I suppose."

He handed her a pre-made plate of what looked like potatoes, carrots, beans and meat. She took the plate, gave him a quick "Thank you" and walked over to an empty table before sitting down. She forked the food in her mouth, trying to eat it all as fast as she could. In less than two minutes, wiped her mouth off with a napkin, and returned the plate to the front. She left the cafeteria and began her trek back to her room, seeing several familiar faces on the way back. Once she arrived, she shot her gaze down to the area beneath her. She caught the faces of Karma, Master Yi and Udyr training below her, so she took the nearest flight of stairs down and drew her blades from her back, approaching one of the target dummies. She cut at it, aiming for vital positions, trying to determine the fastest way to drop someone. Although she didn't want to participate in this competition, she wasn't going to curl into a ball and be the first one killed. She planned on fighting, but she didn't have any intention of winning. She cut into the dummy, which never broke and never showed any form of damage by some means of magic. She picked up her rhythm, her blades cutting in a sort of pattern. Several hours later, she exhausted herself out, and flopped down against the mat of the training area, closing her eyes.

"Getting tired Irey?" She heard from behind her.

"Hey Lux. What are you doing over here? Isn't the demacian side more towards the cafeteria?"

"Yeah, it is. But I got tired and decided I'd come and see you. Is there something wrong with that?" She asked with a positive tone.

"No, I just thought you'd be training right now. Anyways, what brings you over here, other than to see me?"

"That's about the only reason actually. We haven't talked much in the last few days, and I wanted to make sure that you were still making out alright. Anyways, have you and Riven been talking much lately?"

"No, not that much recently. She has been off doing whatever it is that she does, and I've been here training. I really should go see her soon." She proclaimed eyes closed. "What time is it right now?"

"I think it's somewhere around six, but I'm not quite too sure. How come?"

"I was just thinking about what there is left to do today. I don't feel like training again today, and I don't have enough time left to do much else."

"Well, you could always go and try to find Riven I suppose. I bet she'd love to see you."

Irelia passed the thought through her head, considering it.

"What are your plans for the rest of the day Lux? Did you have anything in particular?"

"Well, I was thinking about spending a little bit more time with you, and then I'll find something else to do. But I'm tired, and I don't quite feel like training again tonight."

"Well, I'm going to go and try to find Riven, but you're free to tag along if you want."

"Certainly Irey, I'd love to" she proclaimed with an extending hand to the laying down Ionian.

* * *

After an hour of searching through the training areas, cafeteria, and lobby, they still hadn't found a trace of the exile. They had solidly looked through all the areas that anyone would be at this point, but they had come up with nothing but lost time. They felt a little bit demoralized, but they came to the consensus that Riven didn't want to be found right now.

"So I guess she doesn't want to be found right now huh?" observed Lux. "What do we do now? We only have a couple more hours before we have to go to sleep and get ready for the tournament tomorrow. What do you think we should do?"

"I'm not too sure. I feel like going back to my room and relaxing until it's time for me to go to sleep. I don't want to do anything else today if I'm being honest."

"Do you mind if I come along? I don't have much else to do anyways."

"I don't quite see why not. Sure, you can tag along."

The door to her room opened with a creak, and the two girls stepped inside.

"Your room is actually pretty empty Irey. Why don't you decorate it like home? Maybe that'll help you with your home sickness. It's what I did."

"I haven't had time Lux. Anyways, make yourself feel at home. Are you hungry?"

"No, not right now at least. Thank you for the offer though." She chimed while she looked around the baron room, peering around at everything. "This room really is baron. We should go get your some decorations for it later on or something. Would you enjoy that?"

"Well, yeah I suppose. It'd make living here a little bit better. When should we go?"

"After the tournaments are over, we can go into town and buy you some ornaments and stuff. Consider it somewhat like a date."

"Wait, what did you say? Like a date?"

"Yeah, what's so strange about that? You don't like to consider it that way?"

"Going on a date is something romantic that couples do Lux. At least that's what we think of it back in Ionia."

"Oh. In demacia, it's an arrangement that two people make. It's not just a thing that couples do. Sorry if my wording alarmed you."

Irelia let out a short sigh. "Oh, that's not a problem. It's just not the context that I'm used to hearing it in."

"Hey Irey, you're from Ionia. You guys care quite a bit about appearances don't you?"

"Well, I guess you could say that. We do care quite a bit about what we look like. It's a sign of respect when you look good talking to someone. It shows them that you're worth their time preparing themselves. It's rather highly valued back in Ionia I guess. Why do you ask?"

"Would you mind telling me if what I was wearing looked nice? I want to impress someone, but I'm not quite sure I look nice."

Irelia looked the small blonde girl over. Her choice of attire was a small suit of armour, with a small, thin yellow cape behind her. She wore silver armguards, along with yellow hip guards and blue pants. Her armour wore signs of demacian insignia, along with silver, demacian style shoes.

"You look fine Lux. You look cute. But who are you trying to impress? Yesterday you told me that you didn't have your eyes on anybody, but today you are? What's his name?"

"Huh? I said I was trying to impress someone?" Her cheeks began to turn beet red. "I didn't mean it like that!"

"It's fine Lux. Now who is it? I want to know. I was more than willing to tell you my secrets, why don't you tell me yours?" She said with a friendly voice.

"No, it's not that way. I didn't mean it like that Irey!"

"Is it that little explorer from Piltover? What's his name?"

"Do you mean Ezreal?"

"Yeah that's the one. Is it him?"

"No it's not!" Her cheeks still red as a cherry

"Well, I'll trust you. But you've got to tell me who it is soon." She said with a wink. Irelia didn't commonly act like this, but she felt relaxed around Lux.

"Here, there's something else I've got to show you. Can you turn around for a second? And don't get freaked out when I ask you to turn around ok?"

"I don't get what you're asking Lux. What do you mean?"

"Just trust me and turn around. Please?" She asked with her blue eyes looking into her own.

"Alright, but you've got to tell me who it is after words. I've got to get something out of this too you know." She said as she turned her back.

"Alright, but only once I ask you to turn around."

Seconds later, the sound of metal connecting with the floor caused Irelia to jump. She was about to turn around, but she refrained against doing so, not wanting to betray the mage.

"Ok Irey, you can turn around now. Just don't get mad at me when you do."

Irelia turned around to see the light mage standing where she was just moments ago, but this time her chest piece lay on the floor, revealing her white, laced bra. Irelia reeled back out of instinct.

"What are you doing Lux?" Irelia pronounced startled as she tried to evaluate what was going on right now.

"I wanted to make sure everything I was wearing looked nice, not just what I was wearing on top. Why are you so afraid? It's not like you haven't seen it before, and I'm not doing this out of attraction. I'm naturally curious by nature, that's all."

The thought passed through her mind. Why was she so shocked about this? She'd looked at herself many times in the mirror before, and it wasn't like she'd never seen someone like this before.

"Sorry, it's just that I wasn't quite expecting it. It suits you just fine, going with the light colours theme."

"Do you like it? Do you think that they'll like it?"

"I'm sure they will. But why are you asking me this? Why couldn't you just go ahead and ask them yourself?"

"I don't quite know. I just wanted to make sure that someone else liked it before I went and showed them, and now here I am."

"Well, can you go ahead and get that back on? It's strange seeing you like that."

"Oh, yeah, I can. Sorry for freaking you out though, I should've given you some kind of warning or something in advance. My apologies."

"It's nothing to worry about. And you're right, it's nothing I haven't seen before."

Suddenly, another sound came from behind them. The door behind them creaked open, and a common voice filled their ears.

"Hey Irelia, I'm coming in." The voice exclaimed as the door opened even more, soon revealing the face of the exile. Her face tilted to the side as saw the sight in front of her, her eyes shooting an irritated glance over to the Ionian. "Am I interrupting something? I can leave if you two are about to have a moment together."

"No, feel free to come in Riven. I was just checking to see what Irelia thought of my clothes. I'm not trying to steal her from you or anything." Speaking in a tone like they would have just before a summoning, as if nothing was going on right now and they were talking over a meal in the cafeteria.

"And what do you mean by that Lux? Are you implying something?"

Lux's face showed signs of shock as she realized that she had just given away the fact that she knew about the two of them. "Oh, I'm sorry Riven. I wasn't supposed to know that was I?"

The Noxian took several steps forward and stood several steps away from the small girl in front of her.

"How did you find this out exactly huh?" She said with an intimidating sound in her voice. "Were you spying on us."

"Riven, how about you calm down, alright? If you want to know how she knows, it's because I told her. So you can just calm down and back away."

Lux quickly threw her chest guard back on and turned her head to the floor, trying to hide her face. "I'm so sorry Riven. I didn't know that you were going to show up here. I just wanted to know if…"

"Do you think I care about you? How many other people know about what I said? How many people have you told it too?" The Noxian spoke, her voice more laced with anger than anything else.

"I haven't told anyone! I promise Riven, I really haven't told anyone else about you two. I promise that I won't!"

"Yeah, of course you won't. I don't like people that much Lux, and you've given me another reason to hate them more than I already do. You stupid Demacians, always thinking that you're better than us. You call yourselves the better group, but you're just a bunch of backstabbing, lying spies!"

Moisture began to fill the eyes of the small light mage, and her next words came out choked. "I'm so sorry Riven, I'll just leave you two alone and I won't talk to her again. I'm sorry Irelia." Her blue eyes distorted by the tears that were flowing down her face. Irelia put out her arm, and caught the small demacian as she walked with her head down, and pulled her closer to her, wrapping her arms protectively around her back and placing her head against her shoulder.

"What the hell got into you Riven? Why are you so angry all of a sudden! She hasn't told anyone at all, and I know she won't! So why are you being so damn assertive!"

"You know I'm right Irelia. These damn Demacians are nothing more than backstabbing, low grade misfits. They're not worth the time spent trying to become human beings. Ask this little mage about what she did and where she got her title. Ask her how she got them, and why she's trying to be so cute and friendly towards you. I know how they are, I've killed their kind before. She's not as peaceful and naïve as she makes herself out to be. She wants something from you. She's just some filthy scum that I wipe off my shoes after running in the mud!"

Irelia pulled Lux closer to her body and brought a hand down across the back of her hair as though she were a child. Lux wasn't the kind of person that could take that much of a blunt, brutal attack. She was a diplomat for demacia, and although being used to dealing with unfavourable people, she hadn't been ready for that much of a racial onslaught.

"Riven, I don't know what just got into you, but that was certainly uncalled for. The only thing that I need to say to you is the door is right behind me, and you have ten seconds to get out of this room and out of my face before security is dragging you out of this room while you drool against the floor." Her steady, Ionian voice didn't falter. She was a woman of intense circumstances, and when the came called upon it, she could became an extremely frightening and defensive woman. "I'll be having a word with you later, and we'll have quite a bit to talk about." She finished as she gave the Noxian a glare that could scare anything with a beating heart.

"Ask her to tell you about how she got that title of hers. It's quite a fun story. Make sure she…"

"I wasn't kidding when I said get out of this room. You don't have the rights to speak to any of us anymore, until I see you next and I permit it. Don't forget, she is a part of the reason that you have air left in your lungs to insult her."

Riven left the room in a fit of haste, and Irelia immediately rushed over and locked the door behind her to make sure that she wouldn't be coming back.

"I guess I'll be going now. Lux coughed up between sobs of breath, her breathing getting heavier and more sporadic, both of her beautiful blue eyes being surrounded by a red ring. "I appreciate you standing up for me, but you didn't have to do that Irelia. Riven loves you, while I just…"

"Lux, you're not leaving here tonight. You're going to stay here, if you want to of course. But you're more than welcome to stay here. I can't believe Riven would say those kinds of things about you."

"You don't have to do that for me Irey. I appreciate that you care about me, but Riven loves you. Don't forget about that. She felt protective about you, and she wanted you to be safe. She checked up on you for the same reason that I did. She cares about you, Irelia. She loves you. She admitted it. I'm just a shy little mage from Demacia who can't even ask questions without getting someone else in trouble.

Irelia walked back over and wrapped her arms around Lux once again, pulling her head into her chest.

"Lux, I want you to stay here. I can't let you leave in this condition. I won't let you leave in this condition."

"If you want me to stay with you tonight Irelia, it would be my pleasure." She said as she returned the hug.

* * *

The two girls prepared to go to sleep after the chain of events that had just occurred. They had both showered up and gotten ready to go to sleep, while at the same time preparing themselves mentally for what was about to happen tomorrow.

"Hey Irey, I don't want to sound like I don't appreciate what you're doing for me, but I will more than gladly go back to my room tonight."

"I want you to stay here. It'd be nice to stay here with you. Anyways, you didn't bring something to sleep in tonight did you?"

"No. I wasn't planning on sleeping with you tonight, so I didn't bring anything to change into."

"It doesn't really matter. We can just sleep in whatever we have underneath our changes of clothes and get dressed tomorrow."

"Huh? Sleep in whatever we have underneath?"

"Yeah, Lux, stop acting like it's such a big surprise. We've seen it all a hundred times before, it shouldn't really affect either one of us right? You said it yourself earlier, remember?"

"Well, yeah, but I didn't really think you'd take it that seriously."

"Anyways, I only have a single bed. And even with you being so small, we can't fit two of us in there. I'll have to try and find something to sleep on. Give me a second."

"I can sleep on the floor if you need me too. It's not that big of a problem."

"That isn't the way we treat our guests back in Ionia, and I certainly wouldn't do it to someone such as yourself." She yelled from across the room as she scavenged through her closet trying to find something she could sleep on. She came across a sleeping bag with a design of a forest on it, and yanked it out from its hiding spot.

"You really don't have to do this for me you know. You don't have to do all of this."

"Can you stop being so stubborn and just be happy that I'm willing to do all of this for you? Irelia joked. "I'm not doing this because I feel entitled to. I'm doing this because I like you."

Irelia threw her sleeping bag onto the floor next in the living room, as close as she could to her bed. She then improvised a pillow using a crumpled up shirt from the institute and placed it at the end.

"You'd better get ready to go to sleep Lux. It's getting later out and we'd better get some sleep before the competition tomorrow."

"Oh, yeah I should. Thank you for letting me sleep here overnight Irey. It really means something to me."

"The honour is all mine Lux." The Ionian comforted as she slipped her red and white armour and placing it on the hooks next to her bed. All that remained were her undergarments as she returned back to her sleeping bag.

"Are you going to get undressed Lux? It gets really warm in here at night, the way the weather has been recently."

"Are you asking me to undress Irelia?" The light mage said flirtatiously.

"Don't get too excited Lux. It's not that way of thinking. Just get your armour off, place it on the hooks, and get yourself into bed. I'll see you tomorrow."

Irelia placed herself inside the sleeping bag and rested her head against the improvised pillow as she thought about tonight. She wasn't quite sure about how she felt about Riven after the stunt she pulled off, or how she felt about the beautiful blonde girl sleeping only several feet away.

"Hey Irey, weren't you going to ask me about who it was I was going to show off to today?"

"I've got a pretty good hint." She returned with a smirk on her face that the other girl couldn't see. "And it isn't Ezreal." She responded confidently. Moments passed without the other girl responding, and she took her silence as confirmation. Her eyes closed, pleasant thoughts filling her mind before she slipped out of consciousness.


	13. The tournament

**Hey everyone, first off, I'd like to thank you guys for reading. It was a lot more fun writing this chapter than the last few, albeit a bit rushed. Sawry :(. I might come back and polish it off later :). Secondly, I'd like to thank all of you who have commented thus far. **

**Angels123 & Bankes: I'd like to thank you two for sticking with me even after the transfer process. It was nice seeing that you guys cared enough about the story enough to find it again, along with review, and it really got me interested in writing this again. It was really an amazing morale boost, and I'm so thankful for you guys :)**

**Halena & Quit: Thank you so much for your guy's feedback, and your motivation. Knowing that people cared enough to review this story inspired me to write another chapter. Although it sounds like an exaggeration, it wasn't. Waking up every morning and seeing that I've gotten new reviews really makes me want to write another chapter. **

**Eustacchia: Thank you so much for reviewing on this story. I woke up last morning and checked my reviews, as I always do, and seeing yours made me want to continue writing. Also, hello from Canada :)**

**Anon1: I'd like to thank you for your review, and for a future idea that I might eventually write. I was thinking Irelia X Lux due to the way I wrote the chapters, but after considering your suggestion, I'm thinking about maybe writing something else. ;)**

**Kingglover: I would love to thank you for your review. I had a hard night last night, and I went to sleep in a terrible mood. But even a simple comment saying that you enjoyed my writing really helped me get through today, so I'd really like to thank you for it.**

**Also, due to the sheer overwhelming amount of votes that Rivelia recieved, I think we have a winner. I'd like to thank everyone who participated in the poll, and that all of your reviews were really inspiring. It's a really nice feeling waking up every morning, refreshing my stories page and seeing that the number of reviews has increased. It's extremely helpful.**

**I'm really impressed by the sheer amount of reviews that I've received from you guys. It really blew me away to get this much feedback. :)**

**Anyways, let's keep the interaction rolling. I've been looking around for a picture to place on this story to hopefully attract more readers. But I don't quite know how to work deviantart and find a picture that I could use. So if any of you are a good drawer (which I'm not. I've always stayed REALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLY far away from drawing. I've always been terrible at it. I was always more of a writing guy) and have a picture you would like me to use, you can post something in the reviews or send me a PM (Which I'm not sure if I get or not. It's kinda buggy I think :/) with permission to use it, it would mean a lot. Either a picture of Riven or Rivelia (Rated K, fanfictions rules) along with permission to use it, I'm not lying when I say I'll use it immediately. I know you guys are out there, make yourselves known. ;) Also, you can let me know if you want or do not want a shoutout, and I will make it or not make it happen :)**

**Anyways, have another chapter guys. You deserve it, and expect a new chapter soon. (Reviewing helps though ;)**

* * *

**This chapter is contains graphic depictions and mature themes. Character death is also present**

* * *

"Welcome to the land of the living Irey" announced the blonde haired girl from the other end of the room. "Did you sleep well?"

Irelia grumbled, rolling on to her side away from the mage. "It wasn't the best sleep that I've ever had, if I'm going to be honest, but I've had worse." She grumbled as she pulled the blankets up to her shoulders, trying to shield herself from the fact that she needed to get up.

"Sorry for making you sleep on the floor last night. But I am really thankful that you let me stay last night. I appreciate it."

Irelia opened her eyes and looked over to the small mage on the other side of the room, already dressed. Her blue eyes had regained their innocent glow, the saddened shocked eyes being nothing but memories.

"It was all my pleasure. I'm sorry about what Riven said to you last night. That wasn't under my control, but I should've stood up, told her to back down. It's me who should be apologizing to you."

"Let's forget about last night alright? We have to attend the tournament today, and that's more than enough depressing for one day. Anyways, shouldn't you be getting up and getting changed? We should get started as soon as we can, seeing as it's going to be busy and what not."

"Can you give me a few minutes Lux? It seems too early for me to be getting up. Actually, what time is it right now?"

"5:30 AM." She replied with a giggle.

"Are you being serious? It's 5:30 and you've gotten me up?"

"Well yeah. We went to sleep early yesterday, so it only makes sense that we get up earlier. We have registration to do and the like, don't we?"

"We might, but right now, that's the least of my concerns. Right now, I want to sleep until at least 7, and that's not going to change." She snorted as she pulled the sleeping bag over her head. Although she was often a serious and energetic champion, she was not a morning person. She was back in Ionia, where she could wake up and head to the farmers market while feeling the dew stream across her thighs. But here, it wasn't the same. She enjoyed being able to sleep in, waking up after the sun had risen.

"Well, if you're going to go back to sleep, do you think that that sleeping bag could fit two of us?" Asked Lux, her confident voice now extremely cautious.

"Do you mean you want to sleep in the same sleeping bag as me? Isn't the bed much more comfortable?"

"Yeah, it is, but I'd rather spend some more time with you, if that's alright."

"No harm, no fowl I suppose" she thought to herself. "Fine Lux, just don't bring that armour in here or we won't both fit." Not another noise was made, and shortly after, she felt the small girl entering the sleeping bag, her strange warmth soothing the cold Ionian. The sleeping bag was terrible, and she would've been warmer if she'd passed out overnight in the Freljord. But it kept her off the floor, so at least it was better than nothing. She felt the Demacians smooth, warm skin rubbing up against hers as she made her way inside. Shortly after, she felt her hands make their way onto either side of her stomach and pull the two closer, the comfort mutual.

* * *

The sun was just filling the room as Irelia awoke for the second time. The comfort of Lux was still there, and her presence was welcome. She shook herself free from the sleeping Demacian, clearly still asleep. Irelia walked into the bathroom and locked the door, undressing and placing her clothes on the floor before the water was turned on and she stepped inside. The warm water ran along her body, covering every part of her. She shut her eyes and let herself think about what her life had become. In less than two hours, she would be killing people once again. The memories from Ionia rushed back. The fear of the charging Noxian soldiers, their feet dragging along the blood of Ionians. The feeling as the dark magic made its way through her system, the weight of her eyelids increasing. It wasn't something that she wanted to make anyone go through, and certainly not those who didn't deserve it. The summoners were treading on very thin ice, and they'd better have a reason better than we wanted to

She threw her towel around herself and left entered her living room, making sure not to hit the still sleeping mage. Her eyes were closed, her small body not even taking up a third of the sleeping bag. She walked into her "room" and threw on a change of her armour, making sure that she looked presentable before she entered the tournament.

"Hey Irey, how long have you been up?" The mage questioned drowsily as she lifted her head from her makeshift pillow.

"About fifteen minutes. Why do you ask?" She questioned as she pulled her armour snugly around her body, the cool metal feeling refreshing against her skin.

"Did you really have to get up? I was quite enjoying it."

"Yeah, the tournament starts in around an hour and a half, and we'd better get ready before it's too late. We don't want to be those people who are there too late."

"I like this tournament less and less every moment." She groaned as she slid out of the sleeping bag, before grabbing her armour and fleeing into the bathroom.

"Don't be afraid to take your time in there Lux. We still have quite a bit of time before we even have to leave this room. Don't rush yourself in there." Irelia announced through the door.

"Hey Irey, do you mind if I take a shower really quick? Seeing as it is your room and all."

"Why would I? You can feel at home here."

"You're so kind Irey. I'll try not to take too long."

As much as she felt emotions for Riven, she couldn't help but smile at the Demacians kindness.

"Like I said, we have an hour and a half before we have to BE there, not before it starts. We have more than enough time for you to take a relaxing shower."

Irelia walked over and jumped onto her bed, resting her head against an actual pillow. Homesickness made its quick surge through her body, thoughts of orchards and wooden houses, the morning farmers market, flowing rivers.

"Do you ever miss Demacia Lux?" She threw across the room, hoping that the blonde girl would hear her.

"Well, yeah I guess I do sometimes. But I think everyone other than Riven and Nautilus miss being back at home. We all have something that we miss back where we came from, no matter what it is."

"That's pretty metaphorical Lux. Where'd you get that from?" Irelia responded gleefully.

"Hey! Are you saying that you don't think I could think of that by myself?"

"I was just joking, you can calm down now."

Irelia sat up from her bed and walked back to the living room, tidying up the makeshift bed from last night. She threw the sleeping bag back into the closet and chucked the shirt on her bed. A small creaking noise brought her attention over to the bathroom door just to see the small demacian walking out, wearing nothing but a towel around her.

"Hey Lux, I really don't want to bring it up, but it's been bugging me."

"And what would that be exactly Irey?" Her small blue eyes were full of curiosity with a small glimmer of happiness.

"About what Riven said yesterday, what did she mean when she wanted to know about your title?"

"Oh, that?" The shine in her blue eyes vanished. "Let's not worry about that right now, alright? We have more important things to worry about right now."

"We have a lot of time. Why don't you fill me in? It'd be nice to know more about you anyways, seeing as you have a huge interest in me." She said with a wink.

"I guess it couldn't hurt. But would you mind if I got dressed first?"

"You go right ahead, I'm going to stop you."

"Well isn't that just unfortunate?" She announced with a flirtatious tone in her voice. "You can turn around if you'd like to."

Irelia never remembered the mage being this flirtatious the night before, and this morning seemed tame compared to what she was saying right now.

"Are you feeling alright Lux? You've gotten a lot more flirtatious over the course of a half of ad ay. Are you sure that you're feeling alright right now?"

"Don't you worry about me. I'm fine. I think I'm just a little shaken about what happened last night. It was so unexpected, you know?"

"That wasn't like her. She's assertive and mean at times, but never like that. Something got into her. Maybe it was the tournament, or she felt like I'd betrayed her, but that wasn't her. Anyways, are you going to hurry up and get changed?"

"Yeah, just give me a minute or two."

Irelia's head only got halfway to the door before the world went dark.

* * *

As she regained consciousness, she realized that her surroundings were not the same. The familiar jungles of Ionian sprouted lusciously around her, the sounds of birds echoing from the canopies above. She sat up, reaching her hand around her back where the smooth metal of her blade met her hand. She beckoned it from the holster, and it obediently obeyed. Her small red orb appeared in her hand as her blade floated out to her side, waving through the air like a leaf in the breeze. There was no set in stone bath around her, but she knew how to manoeuvre around in a jungle like this. She began placing one foot of the other, trying to make some sort of connection as to what she was doing here. Ahead of her sat a huge tree, her neck cramming to see the top. She made her way over, cutting down the vines that sat in her way, her ears only picking up the sounds of wind through the leaves and the insects scurrying around with their normal lives. The forest of the floor was littered with leaves and other debris, stuff that didn't seem out of place in her current situation. Ahead of her, the tree got closer, before she heard a noise coming from her left side. She threw her head to the left, but bushes covered her sight. She took off through the side, her blades paving a clean way through the brush, lobbing it from side to side as she made her way through.

"Let me… Let me go your freak!" Shot a male voice through the brush, the voice clearly getting closer.

"You're a member of Piltover, and this is how you treat me? I'd always assumed that you were a much more respectful people." The joking voice responded, still out of sight. Her blade now whipped through the brush as she sprinted towards the voices."

"That all seems to change when you have me trapped in a damn web!"

"Well, it wasn't me who got myself stuck in it, so I can't say that I know the feeling Jayce."

The final vines were ripped to shreds, and Irelia emerged from the overhanging branches and overgrowth into a small clearing containing two members of the league of legends. Jayce, from Piltover was suspending in a web while Elise dangled above him and slightly out of reach. Below them sat Jayce's pride and joy, the mercury cannon.

"It seems like we have a visitor. I'm sorry that I have to end our date so quickly, but you're only going to become a liability. It's not that I have anything against you, so don't take it too hard."

Her body morphed in front of her eyes, her well toned female body generating into a huge spider, its eight red eyes looking her in the eyes before turning over to the webbed Jayce, who struggled to free himself. She leaped towards him, her fangs sinking into his skin for several seconds before the skittered up the tree, away from her sight. Moments later his body began wildly convulsing, his limbs held in place by the strong, silken webs. Moans of pain and agony escaping his lips as his body struggled against his oppressor's trap, trying anything he could to escape. Irelia dashed towards him, but his body suddenly seized convulsing, foam escaping the side of his mouth, his head dropping limp.

"What the hell have you done Elise?" She yelled at the canopy of leaves above her, making sure her voice was heard. "You just killed him! He never did anything to deserve this!"

"Irelia" the voice muttered from the trees, but not coming from one place in particular. "You know just as much about this game as we all do, that we need to kill each other to find out who has really kept themselves true warriors, not just in the eyes of our summoners. He did deserve it when he signed up for the league of legends. Now I'm sorry that you had to see that. I didn't plan to kill him that way." Her voice hissed after every word as it echoed in the lush green forest surrounding the clearing. "I promise you, yours is not going to take that long. I'll make sure that I end you much quicker. It brings me no happiness in killing people. I stopped that long ago."

"You don't take pleasure in your killings huh? Then how about you explain what you just said right before you killed him! You seemed to be enjoying it quite a bit then!" She yelled as her voice picked up ferocity. "I'm not going to let you leave this area Elise. What you have done cannot be undone."

"You have no control over me. You think you possess the ability to stop me? I control these forests. You have nothing but your puny blades to protect you! If you think that you scare me, you're wrong!"

Suddenly the forest began to move, brushes shook and leaves descended from their points in the trees, silently floating to the ground. Above her, flocks of birds took flight, fleeing the ruckus beneath them. From the underbrush emerged a swarm of small, black spiders, their legs pattering against the forest floor beneath them as they charged towards Irelia, their fangs poised to bite. She could only assume that over three hundred of the small things were charging out of the forest to attack her. Her blade rose in front of her, ready to repel the onslaught of death rapidly approaching. Her grip on her orb increased as she brought her hand to her side, her muscles tense. The blades shot out, slicing into the swarm as it approached. Several of them swung out of the way, but most of them were cut down as they fearlessly approached the Ionian. They were cut down in the swarms, but their small legs continued onwards, not fearing the steel swinging around them. As they approached, their hind legs bent, and their bodies poised forwards. They shot through the air, their mandibles ready to chomp into the flesh in front of them. Irelia's blades returned and placed themselves beneath her feet, throwing her into the air. Her mind struggled to keep the blades in place as she shot up into the air, the wind cutting her face. As she shot above the canopy, the area around her returned to her mind. It was a forest not far from Ionia, maybe a several hour hike depending on how fast you were walking, where she had often explored with her brother when they were still children.

As she began to drop to the ground, she looked down, only to see that the spider lings were still poised beneath her, an army of red eyes looking up at her. Her blades took their places above her head, and then suddenly shot to the ground, slicing the small spiders into pieces, their limbs flying through the air as the air filled with a mist of red. Her blades returned into two rows and placed themselves beneath her feet as the placed themselves towards the ground, rapidly slowing down. Irelia felt the weight as her ribs began to press down into her stomach, her neck mere seconds from snapping beneath the weight. She stopped several feet above the ground, her blades gently releasing her as she fell upon the field of corpses. Her feet crunched as she landed against the piles of dead bodies, sending shivers up her spine.

"What have you done to my children?" Came a frightened yell from the spider queen, clearly shocked that her plan had failed.

"I told you Elise, you will not be leaving this area alive, and you have my word on it. She said as she spun around, making sure that the enormous spider was not behind her.

"That's where you're wrong Irelia. It's you who will not be leaving here alive!"

The sound of neurotoxin came from behind her, shooting towards her. She spun around to see the red liquid not feet from her face. Her arms rose to protect her head from the digestive poison shooting towards her. The next thing she heard was the sound of splashing before she dropped her hands. Her blades formed a shield in front of her, the poison scattered against the floor.

"How did you… How did you survive that?" The spider asked trembling as her human body retreated away to the safety of the forest.

"Elise, I am the will of the blades, proud warrior and champion of Ionia. As long as my blades are still in my control, you will not leave here alive." Her eyes locked forward, watching the trembling woman's body.

Elise turned around and bolted towards the forest, but it was too little and too late. Irelia's first blade connected with the back of her left leg, sticking it to the ground. Her body twisted as it collapsed to the ground, tearing a chunk out of her leg. Her yells of pain now filled the forest as Jayces had moments ago. Irelia poised her blades above the attractive woman's body before plunging them down her midline, starting at her neck and ending just above the hips. Her body spasmed as the blades plunged into her, only stopping once the back of each one was only slightly above her chest. Blood spilled from the wounds, dripping across her body and onto the already soaked earth, her dead body now alongside her children. Irelia walked over to Jayces remains, his body degenerating due to the venomous poison the spider had injected. She said her farewells, apologized for his death, and left the field, leaving behind her hordes of bodies. Overhead, an announcer's voice chimed.

"The winners of this match have been decided. Part 2 will be beginning momentarily."

Suddenly, Irelia's body felt distorted, being pulled in multiple directions. When she awoke yet again, her body was no longer in the forest, but rather on top of what seemed to be a tall mountain. Sharp, jagged outcroppings appeared on either side of her, the drop hundreds of feet below her. There was a large amount of footing, but it was only enough to place one foot on at a time. Above her towered hundreds of feet of rock with no visible end. The mountain was in a circular shape with what appeared to be rings around it. She began to walk in a clockwise formation around the outside of the mountain, trying to find someone else.

"Why am I doing this?" She yelled, hoping to draw out someone else, but to no avail.

Fierce winds scraped along the uneven surfaces, throwing shards of deadly fast rock past her face. Her body slid along the side, her footing certain. Ahead of her sat an outcropping of rocks that seemed to block off most of the wind and the deadly projectiles. As she entered, the feeling of wind immediately stopped, and she felt her body warming up. She rested her back against the wall, her muscles remaining tense. She heard the wind whipping up against the side of the rocks, sounding like small whistles. As she stood inside of the small cubby in the side of the wall, a familiar scream came from atop of her. She immediately scurried outside and looked up, seeing nothing but rock. Her blades released from her back, the red orb appearing in her hand. She left the small outcropping, sliding her way up the stone. The wind threatened to tear her off the wall, but she stood true, ensuring that she wouldn't die here. As she made her way back around, she noticed the crumpled form of a familiar friend lying on a smooth pad of rock. The Noxian was sprawled against the ground, blood seeping from a wound in her side. Irelia rushed over to her, but was suddenly met with the force of a thousand bulls in her side. She turned her head to see her oppressor, being met with the face of the radiant dawn. The two collapsed onto the ground, fighting for control and their lives. Leona's huge shield was much stronger than Irelia had ever assumed it would be, and the weight pushed against her body, pinning her down. She pressed against it, trying to lift it from her body, but to no avail. She was simply too strong for her to be able to beat her with brute force. She tried to command her blades to attack, but she was being crushed too fast for her body to be able to control the blades. She felt her ribs begin to snap, the weight being too much for her Ionian physique to handle. Her mind filled with thoughts on her friend beside her, lying in a state of near death.

"I love you Irelia" was the first thought that shot through her mind, her body filling with sadness. Was she just going to lay here and let herself die? Was she going to surrender and accept her death? She brought her arms to the sides of the shield, pushing against it, but again to no avail. "I just wanted you to know that."

She flexed her arms again, this time making progress against the shield, lifting both it and its owner several inches into the ground. Irelia rolled away, pushing on the shield to get herself further away from the shield. She stood up to her feet, watching as Leona scurried away on her back, her arms pushing her away.

"DIANA!" was the last word she yelled before the blades plunged into her. One pierced her stomach, cutting clean through. Another one pierced her leg, immediately spraying blood against the ground behind her. The third went through her right arm, searing it clean off, being tossed to the wind. The fourth and final blade pierced just between her breasts, launching her body back, her mouth spraying one last spit of blood before she collapsed backwards, her body lifeless.

She was suddenly met with a warm sensation, a slight tingling in near her heart. As she looked down, she was met with a long, red blade pierced through her stomach.

"How does that feel Ionian? How does it feel to die?" A rough voice announced behind her, which she could only assume was Diana. Irelia coughed up a mouthful of blood onto the ground in front of her, spraying against the rocks. She brought her hands down to either side of the blade, gripping it. The blade twisted, and pain rocketed through her body, her legs becoming unstable and trembling.

"I… I" she coughed, unable to formulate a sentence. Fear shot through her, the fear of dying.

"You're going to die for that Irelia. Then I'll watch as your Noxian friend bleeds out on the rocks over there. Maybe I'll have a little fun with her first. See how a Noxian screams."

Irelia gripped the red orb and commanded her blades to return to her. The blades smashed right into her stomach as well, cutting through Irelia and into her assailant. Her world shot in and out of darkness as she commanded the blades to move over above the ledge, her death unavoidable. Diana's screams of terror filled the air, but it was no use. As they got over the abyss, Irelia turned her head over to the Noxian, whose hand was extended, and she yelled something that she couldn't make out.

"I'm so sorry Riven. I messed up. Stay alive for me" were the last thoughts that crossed through her mind before she released the red orb, their bodies plummeting down the abyss. The wind flew across her cold body, her world now nothing more than several shades of grey. A tear formed in her eye before the duo hit the ground, exploding against the surface.

* * *

Irelia woke up on a summoning bed, her body uncomfortable. Suddenly, three summoners walked in, grabbing her by the arms before lifting her into the air and placing her on her feet.

"What are you guys doing?" She managed the stutter.

"We're escorting you back to your room. You are not to have any more interaction with any other champions until you have been aloud to do so." One of them spoke in a brute voice. Irelia was drug against the floor the several hundred feet back to her room. When they arrived, they tossed her into the room and locked her door from the outside. She tried to break the fall with her arms, but instead collapsed face first, and the world went dark.

As she stammered up from the ground, she felt an unnerving sense in her body as she stood up. Something around her wasn't right. She placed a hand on her back, her blades still in their normal position.

"Hello?" She gasped, trying to get the attention of someone else. "What's going on out there?" Only silence responded. A strange smell filled her nose as she took her first few breaths, a smell that she was all too familiar with. She trembled in fear as she approached the door, unsure of what lay beyond it.

* * *

**Have a great morning, day, evening,night, you know you shouldn't be up but you are, and thank you for reading. **


	14. Ashes, dust and memories

**Hey everyone. I'd first like to thank you all for reading this far into the story. I'm going to skip straight to the point just for this chapter, and let you guys read this chapter. This chapter may cause you to feel some rather sad feelings, and it kinda hurt me to write it. I guess I've just grown into this story. Also, thank you so much Eustacchia for your offer. It still remains, so don't get discouraged by the ending of this chapter.**

**Feedback is highly encouraged, and ask as many questions as you'd like. I'll be more than willing to provide you with answers in the next chapter or perhaps even direct responses. Any questions you have, feel free to ask them, even if you're wondering how I can be so stupid. They're all welcome.**

**This chapter contains a lot of sadness, so you cannot say you haven't been warned. **

**Any ways, try to have a nice morning,day,evening,night,you know you shouldn't be up but you are, and once again, thank you for reading. **

* * *

As Irelia approached the door, a bead of sweat rolled down her eye, the strange feeling causing her to shutter.

"Is anyone out there?" She screamed as her inner fear shone through. "Someone unlock this damn door!"

Suddenly, the door burst open, revealing the petrified figure of Katarina, her body actively trembling before she sprinted away, leaving her knife buried up to the hilt inside of the lock. Leaving her room, she noticed a small gray cloud forming overhead, the fog slowly descending. As she looked around from the railing, she noticed the source of the fear Katarina had just displayed. To her right, a towering inferno paved its way down the middle of the institute of war, destroying all that got in its way. As she turned to her left and away from the blaze rapidly approaching, a supporting pillar collapsed, its vibrant designs now blocking her path. Below her, she heard a yell, a cry of help.

"Help me!" Came the cry of a female, her voice audibly quivering. Irelia considered her options. She could try and make her way out of the situation that she had managed to find herself in, or she could potentially save the life of the person who desperately needed her help. The decision was made instantaneously, and she flung herself off the railing, tucking as she rolled along the ground. The source of the voice came from Caitlyn, the brunette police officer of Piltover.

"Irelia! Have you come here to help?" She asked, the fear still apparent in her voice.

"What have you gotten yourself into?" She questioned as she examined the girls body, her leg twisted at a weird angle, clearly fractured.

"I fell off the railing, and… And no one came back to help me. Jayce was too far ahead, and everyone else, everyone else just ran for their lives." She pointed out, her lips shaking.

"It's nothing against them. They're trying to save themselves. Not everyone is as selfless as us Ionians." She announced with a slight hint of pride in her voice, trying to find a way to get the girl out. "I'm going to carry you out of her, alright?"

"You're going to carry me? Why aren't you getting out of here? We nearly killed you just several weeks ago!"

"That's in the past Caitlyn, right now, we're going to get you out of here." She lifted the brunette up, placing her just below her ribcage on her own shoulder, grabbing her by the back of the thighs. "Hold on to anything you can, and don't you let go."

She beckoned her blades out, the orb appearing in her free hand. She commanded them into a two by two pattern, and they sliced square through the wooden walls in front of them, dust stirring around them. As they approached the entrance, she took a plank of wood, ordered her blades to cut it into a form of crutch, and placed Caitlyn down on her one good leg before taking the crutch from her blades and handing it to her.

"Caitlyn, this was the best I could do in the time that I've been provided." She spoke with great haste. "I'm going to go back, try to find others like you who were unfortunate enough to not make it out."

"Going back in there, that's suicide."

"Then that is the life that I will have lived. If I do not return, I ask of you two favours. I first need you to apologize to both Riven and Lux for my death. I did not intend it, but I cannot leave this area knowing that some people may still be trapped. Second off, I need you to get karma to show Lux around Ionia. She will understand when you ask her." She asked with moistening eyes. "Can you do that for me?"

"Well, yeah, but what do I tell them?"

"Tell them… Tell them I died a proud Ionian, and that I fought until my last breath defending those who could not defend themselves. I died a warrior, a proud citizen of Ionia."

"You'll make it out. Don't give me a reason to say that alright?"

"I'll try not to Caitlyn, and thank you. Now move!" She exclaimed as she headed back towards the inferno, braving her potential fate. In reality, she didn't want to die. She had a life that she still had to live with Riven, thousands of experiences and memories that she would never get to live if she died in here.

She headed back down towards the inferno, listening as boards and pillars burned up, dropping flaming splinters down upon her head. Her blades floated carefully at her side, prepared to take any order that she commanded. Ahead of her lay the bodies of Ashe and Tryndamere, both lying down on the ground, hands locked.

"They gave up. They just, they just locked their hands, accepted their fates, and they died." Came a small voice from rubble, the voice of a yordle.

"Where are you?" Irelia asked, placing her forearm to her forehead, palm facing away trying to shield herself from the heat.

A small yordle emerged from a pile of rubble, her small yordle face covered in soot.

"I… I watched them die… They're… They're really dead now aren't they?"

Irelia walked over and pushed the soot away from her face, revealing the face of the megling gunner, Tristana.

"Tristana, we need to get you out of here. Are you sure they're dead? Are you sure they're not just unconscious?"

"I don't… I don't know. They just emerged from the smoke and collapsed to the ground." Her small yordle eyes shedding tears. "I couldn't do anything. I just curled into a ball and I… I was ready to die."

"Tristana, we need to get you out of here, alright? We're going to get you to safety."

"You get yourself out first, alright? I can… I can make it out."

She grabbed the yordle by the sides and began running her out, tinder falling onto her exposed skin, making searing noises with every one. Once she got to the mostly intact lobby, she placed the small girl on her feat, pointing her towards the door.

"Get out of here Tristana, keep living your life, alright."

"Irelia, I don't. I don't want to live anymore. I've seen so much, I can't un-see it."

"Tristana, I need you to look at me alright?" She said as she knelt down, grabbing the small yordle by her shoulders and forcing her to face her. "Teemo and Rumble are both waiting for you out there, they're both waiting for you to get out there and be safe. I need you to get out there and let them know you're alive alright?"

The small yordle broke down into tears, her stare now filled with unwanted liquid.

"Al… Alright Irelia, but… But you've got to promise me you're going to get out of there before you die alright?"

"I promise. Now go, they're waiting for you." She said with a forced smile, giving the gunner a small push on the back, easing the wall forward, her walk slanted.

She bolted back through the collapsing institute, back to where she had found Ashe and Tryndamere. She grabbed Ashe over her shoulder, ordering her blades to grab tryndamere, and prepared her last trip back. The heat was getting too much to bear, and she would only die if she entered once again. As she arrived at the entrance, a small piece of wood she had placed her foot on splintered away, and Ashe was thrown forward as she collapsed, still supporting Tryndamere on her blade. Above her, a wooden piece of the ceiling collapsed down, its whole massed doused in red flame. In her final sacrifice, she ordered her blades to cradle tryndamere and push the two away, as far as she could. They slid down the final stretch of the way, coming to rest several feet before the foyer, catching the attention of some other survivors. The angle she had shot them down at prevented the survivor from seeing her, ensuring her demise. The wooden log collapsed upon her arm, shattering the bone and dropping her to the ground. Pain shot up in waves, the flame licking its way up her arm, the sound of the water in her skin evaporating into the air. The red orb she held in that hand was now unusable as she desperately tried to save her own life, but to no avail. Her hand was gone, most likely cut square off. She yelled as loud as her body would allow, pleading for someone to save her.

"Somebody help me! My arm is trapped!" She yelled, but no one could hear her plea. She pulled back on her arm, but all she heard was the sound of her liquidizing flesh tearing away, her tough Ionian personality collapsing into shambles. She placed her head against the ground, her eyes freely spouting tears.

"Riven! I'm so sorry! She yelled, her voice dwarfed by the absolute inferno that surrounded her. "I… I tried to get out, I really did! I wanted to see you again! I wanted to tell you that I was sorry for lashing out at you the other day! I wanted to tell you that we could just kiss and make it up! To tell you that I was going to be there for you! To be there one morning, to wake up beside you! To share laughs with you! To share tears with you! I really did! I love you Riven!" She yelled into the ground, threatening to drown herself in her own self pity, her voice smothered by the Inferno around her.

Outside the building, summoners and champions waited outside, waiting for their friends and colleagues to leave the building. First came Caitlyn, who was immediately met by both Vi and Jayce and brought back to the group. Next came Tristana, who was immediately met by Rumble, her body in shambles, her eyes creating rivers. Next came

Tryndamere and Ashe, their bodies being carried out by Karma and Shyvana, both of them displaying sheer sadness as they carried them back, but neither said a word. Soraka began her healing, her face uncertain. All they could do now was watch as the building they had lived in was turned into a pile of ashes and dust.

The next morning, when they all awoke, the institute of war had become nothing more than a pile of ashes and debris, only small pillars of smoke remaining of the once powerful inferno. When the rose, a summoner in a purple garb stood in front of them, holding a sheet of white paper.

"Champions and summoners of the league of legends, I hold before me a list of those we have lost in this catastrophic incident that occurred last night. The following are the names of those who we have not yet confirmed have died, but are either dead, or are missing in action. Included are their titles and location of occupation.

Twitch, the plague rat, Zaun.

Teemo, the swift scout, Bandle City

Urgot, the headsmans Pride, Noxus

Annie, the dark child, The Voodoo Lands

And Maokai, the twisted treant, of the shadow isles.

Champions collapsed as their friends names were announced, but the person who took it the hardest was Tristana after hearing the name of Teemo, collapsed to the ground and audibly wailed, her face buried in her lap.

"Next, I shall announce the names of those who have been confirmed dead, as well as their titles and location of occupation. This list is significantly shorter, so let's get this done.

Ashe, the frost archer of The Freljord. Cause of death: Asphyxiation.

Tryndamere, the barbarian king of The Freljord. Cause of death: Asphyxiation

Cecil B. Heimerdinger, The revered inventor of Piltover. Cause of death: Crushed

Karma gave him a quick tap on the shoulder before whispering something in his ear. He looked at her, and after receiving a nod, looked back to the crowd.

"I regret to inform you that we must add another name to this list." He choked out the words. "I have just been informed that the death of Irelia, the will of the blades from Ionia has been confirmed to be dead. Her cause of death is unknown as of now, but we will update you as we are informed otherwise." He looked at the page again. "That is all. Now, let us take this time to grieve the loss of our loved ones, and continue on to a brighter tomorrow."

Caitlyn, Riven and Lux shot to their feet and ran to the front, before being stopped by a summoner, but after they told them they had to speak with Karma, he wasn't about to hold them back. Karma began answering their questions before they had even been asked, tears forming in the strong Ionian woman's eyes.

"I regret to inform you that I have confirmed the death of Irelia myself." She beckoned to Shyvana, who retrieved her blades from under a sheet and brought them up. "These were found at the entrance yesterday where we found Tryndamere and Ashe. She made the ultimate sacrifice and died to save them, but they were simply too far gone."

"No. That can't be hers. Irelia's blades never leave her side. That can't be hers!" Riven protested, not wanting to believe the facts that were directly in front of her.

"Riven, Irelia is dead. She… She told me to tell you that if she didn't make it out of there alive, that she was sorry. She planned on making it out alive, but if it came down to it, she was willing to sacrifice herself. She wanted Karma to give Lux the tour around Ionia that she had promised to take her on herself." Caitlyn begin to break down. "But she wouldn't be able to do now. She wanted me to tell you that… She wanted me to tell you that she died a proud Ionian, defending those who couldn't defend themselves. She died valiantly in the name of Ionia, defending her and her people, and serving proudly until her last breaths." Caitlyn broke down, salty tears streaming down her beautifully toned face. "I wanted to tell her to stop, to not go back in there. But I was too afraid for my own life. I was too afraid to let myself die that I let her go back in there. I'm so sorry Riven…" She said between sobs. "I'm so sorry!"

Riven placed her hands to her face and let herself go. Tears began to flow down her face like a waterfall, her strong hands trembling as she tried to hide her sorrow. Lux did the same, collapsing to her knees and planting her hands into the ground, burying their faces in them.

"I'm sorry for your losses. She was a brave warrior, who lived and died every breath as a true Ionian. She will be commemorated." Karmas voice trembling and as her diplomatic voice gave in. "We will remember her. She will not be forgotten as the soldier who died in vain. She fought till her last breath, ensuring that as many of her comrades made it out before she had to make the ultimate sacrifice." She began actively crying, the diplomat of all of Ionia breaking down in public. "She will still live on in our memories, her proud posture and selfless personality a reminder to the legacy she leaves behind." Karma had more words to say, more feelings to express, but she too collapsed to the ground, weeping in agony of her dead friend. The four women merely wept together, none of them able to produce enough air to speak another word in between their sobbing.


	15. What is broken

**Warning: this chapter is extremely gloomy and the end has some mature themes. Read at your own risk**

Despite the sorrow that was currently infesting the group of champions, the lives that they lived had to continue. Although some of them didn't want to go anywhere, and they would much rather stay and mourn, most of them agreed that they had to do something to get their lives back into control, seeing as they no longer had an institute of war to call home. They all had choices. They would first be moved into public housing in a nearby city until arrangements could be made to move back to their home states. A summoner in a purple robe came to the front of the group who had yet to move from their circle on the ground, despite two days having passed them by.

"Champions of the league of legends, I have come here today to tell you that we have found you all temporary housing, and arrangements are being made to get you back to a city state of your choosing. We are also allowing you to, if you would like, assist us in the search effort to attempt to find the body of the will of blades that has yet to be truly confirmed dead, or to help us find one of the many who were lost in action. If you would like to assist us in the search effort, come to the front. If not, feel free to stay where you are and we will get you to your temporary housing. That is all for the time being, and may today be better than the last."

Most of the champions from the league of legends came up to the front, only several Noxians, Jarvan the fourth, Tristana and Rumble didn't.

"Thank you for your cooperation. We will begin today, and we will not stop until all the bodies have been confirmed. Some of our friends may be under that rubble, and we're going to get them out of there."

The search effort began at the front of the building, immediately coming across the portion where Shyvana and Karma had found the blades. Pointing this out, several champions began to tear the area apart, trying to find her body.

"This is where we found her blades." Karma said as she pointed to the ground beneath her. "We have to assume that her body is nearby, and if it's not. We have to assume that she is still alive somewhere." She announced, trying to shine light on the situation.

"Karma, you yourself said that she was dead. If we don't find her body, the chances are that she is just a small pile of ashes and dust scattered into the wind by now." Suggested Katarina who didn't want to spend her time looking for an enemy. She was met by a saddened face of Lux, and she rephrased what she had said. "She might be a pile of dust in the wind, but I guess we'd better keep looking anyways. Maybe she is alive still. We have to confirm that she is dead before this search finishes anyways."

They began to split up, searching every square millimetre of the rubble, trying to find anything. Lux, Riven, Caitlyn, Jayce, Karma and Shyvana searched through where the blades were found, trying to find anything. They came across what appeared to be a broken pillar, on the ground. They tore the rubble away, coming across nothing but an empty floor beneath. They tore everything in the front of the building apart, trying to find any sign that she had existed. No armour, no bones. The mantle of decorum, which was the highest achievement that any Ionian could ever receive wasn't even found, and it was made with tempered metal which couldn't be melted, no matter what circumstance you put it through.

"She has to be alive, or we would have found her mantle already, wouldn't we?" Lux pointed out, trying to sound like her normal, perky self. "That means that she has to be alive, doesn't it?"

"It's very possible that she died in a place different than this, and her mantle is still buried beneath rubble. We have no way of knowing that she died here, other than this is where her blades were found." Explained Karma, pointing out the facts everyone else knew.

"Irelia wouldn't go far from her blades. They're a part of her. They wouldn't leave her to die in the rubble. She was nearby. If we haven't found her mantle, we can still assume that she is still alive and that we should keep looking. We're not giving up on the search until we find her, that's what we all agreed on right?" Proposed Riven.

"We all want Irelia back just as much as you do Riven, and I know it's hard to admit that someone you know and loved has died, but we cannot keep going on like this. We might just have to come to ends with ourselves and admit that she might not have made it out of the inferno, and offer her a hero's death." Gloomed Shyvana, her voice not retaining the same level of confidence as the others.

"You're willing to give up and admit that she is dead? I'm not giving up until I know that she is still alive."

They continued searching, going so far as to move all the rubble away, sort through it, and then research. Nothing came up of the Ionian until they found a small red gem, surrounded by a light, white powder. The group surrounded it, their hopes collapsing harder than the building had.

"Riven, I believe it's time that we come to terms with what has happened here. The facts are right in front of you. She lived and died a hero, and we shall give her a hero's death." 

"No, Shyvana, there's no way that she is dead. This can't be hers. Where is the rest of her armour? Where is her mantle?"

"Riven, we have to conclude that she has perished in the inferno, and that she will not be rejoining us ever again. We, the people of Ionia, shall commemorate her, and we will throw her a proper soldier's funeral. All of you here have been invited to attend and all of your fees shall be paid for by the government of Ionia. It's the least we can do to ease the pain you have all experienced."

Riven bowed her head, knowing that anything she said from this point on would accomplish nothing more.

"Thank you Karma. I'm sure she would have appreciated it." She mumbled as she began to leave the wreckage. "I'm going to go take a walk, try to brighten myself up. Good luck finding everyone else."

"Shouldn't she be forced to help us out? She agreed to search for everyone else didn't she?" asked Jayce, his voice showing signs of distrust. "Shouldn't she help find everyone else? Isn't it a bit selfish for her to leave just because her friend perished?"

Caitlyn's elbow in his gut gave him a hint, but Karma's words made him regret what he had just said.

"The girl who is leaving the rubble right now is no longer Riven of Noxus. The Riven we knew is not with us any more. The person we see leaving this building right now is a husk of what used to be a breathing, caring human. The real Riven has also perished." She gave an eye to Lux, who immediately began to run after the Exile. "The rest of us still have some searching to do." She announced as she pulled the gem from the ground.

With her back turned to the rubble and her blade by her side, the Exile now wandered, her life serving no purpose. She had no home to go back to. She was a self imposed exile, and Irelia was gone, the only home that she really had left. The sun began to set to her right, its orange glow spreading over the hill that she walked up, leaving behind everything she had left. Her feet pressed up the hill, but not on her own action. Her body was moving itself; her soul was merely along for the ride. As she approached the Apex of the hill, her heart began to sink deeper into her chest.

"Irelia's really dead isn't she?" She asked to herself, her words being carried away by the wind.

She got to the top and sat down, looking away from the rubble, balancing her sword on her hands. The broken blade sunk into her palms, a reminder of when she had sworn to never kill again. She would break that promise she made to herself today. Gripping the blade with both hands, she pointed the tip of the blade against her stomach and took several deep breaths.

"Hey Irelia, I guess I'll be seeing you in a few minutes. I never thought that this was how I would die though. I guess all books have to end at some point, don't they?"

Behind her, Lux's voice shot up the hill.

"What are you doing Riven? Are you going to kill yourself just because Irelia is dead?"

Riven let out a sigh of annoyance as the persistent demacian yelled from behind her

"Stay out of this Lux. I don't want you to be a witness to my death. Stay out of this, let me be."

"Is this what Irelia would have wanted to you to do? Do you think that she's proud of you? Looking down at you from above, knowing that you're about to end yourself?"

"It doesn't matter what she thinks anymore. She's gone Lux, and I have nowhere that I can call home. She was all I had left, and I don't want to keep living this life anymore. She… She made me feel like I was a human with feelings, not just a pawn in a never ending game of chess. She made me feel at home when I had none, and she kept me living."

"Riven, we're all hurt by her death, but do you think that killing yourself is going to make anything better? What is that going to accomplish?"

"What do I have left to do Lux! I have nowhere else to go, no one else who cares about me!"

"Riven, you don't want to do that." Her voice approached. She was still getting closer. "Continue on her legacy, do things that would make her proud. You shouldn't be ending your life right now. You should be continuing it on with more passion and intensity that ever before! Do you think that she died on purpose? Do you think that she wanted to leave you in this world? She died to save others, to make a point of her life. She wanted to live for something! She wanted others to live their lives, and she was willing to give her own life up for it! Live your life with a purpose! Make your life mean something!"

But the body at the top of the hill wasn't listening anymore. The tip of the blade pressed into her chest, drawing blood. She felt another had placed upon her blade, pushing it away. Behind her, Lux struggled to get the blade out of the way, to save her life.

"Riven, give me the blade. We'll bring you back to demacia, find you a new home. Don't do it for me, don't do it for yourself. Do it for her!"

"Lux, you left me no other choice." She paused for a second, feeling despair begin to take over. She placed her hands against Lux's neck, pressing in, causing the mage to collapse to the ground unconscious. "I'm sorry Lux."

She grabbed her blade back, pushing the tip into her stomach. The feeling of blood seeping down her stomach began to intensify as she pressured harder. The pain intensified, causing her eyes to begin to lose focus. The trees in the distance began to shake and fade, her mind slipping away. As she pulled her blade back for one final thrust, she was met with intense resistance. Her muscles refused to comply, the blade remaining at a distance.

"Don't give up on my dreams huh? Can I at least have some confirmation that there are hopes for us? Maybe one day, you'll change your mind?"

"Yeah, there's always a chance. You've just got to promise not to give up hoping, and one day, maybe there will be something between us."

"Well there, Ionian. Not a good way to start off a training section, almost dying after jumping off of a railing."

"I think I should be able to stand on my own, thank you though"

"Irelia, everything in life happens for a purpose. Everything we do and have done has occurred for a reason. I learned that the hard way. Right before I abandoned Noxus. Those reasons are not always the right ones. And you can get mad at the choices that someone else made. That's just in our nature. But If I do die tomorrow, I want to let you know that..."

"Don't you go telling me you're going to die now! I won't let that happen to you alright? I promise you."

"You think that I want to die tomorrow?"

"Yeah, but I've just been thinking. I don't want to live that life anymore. I gave up the life on living on the edge. Waking up everyday and thinking you might die. I don't want to experience that feeling anymore."

Pieces of their previous conversations filled her mind, filling her with sorrow.

"Irelia life does have meaning. I'm looking in the eyes right now."

She began to sob as she thought of the Ionians face, her happy and smile bringing back memories of them. The last time they had talked, Irelia had yelled at Riven to get out of her room before security made her. She was so shocked of seeing Lux half naked in Irelia's room that she brought up things she shouldn't have done. The last time she'd seen her was during the tournament when Irelia had sacrificed herself in order to save her. That was the last thing she had to remember her by. Even in the tournament, her last act was to save Riven, who had managed to get flanked and nearly killed. Irelia lived and breathed selflessness even to her last.

"Why did you have to die Irelia?" She yelled at herself, the unconscious demacian lying on the ground behind her. She tightened her grip on her blade and prepared to thrust the blade through herself. "Why did you have to leave me alone? Why did you have to die just for the chance to save others?"

She poised the blade at her stomach, ready to take the stab that would end her life. Her blade felt sweaty, her palms glistening in the glow of the setting sun

"I'm going to miss you Irelia. It was a short life we had together if you'd even say we lived it together. I finally felt like I had a home somewhere, someone who would miss me if I was gone." She took her last breath, her blade unable to stop its owner. "This is where it all ends."

"You're going to give up that fast? You guys haven't even found my body yet." Came a familiar voice from behind her. "How do you guys know I'm dead?"

Riven turned around, seeing the proud figure of the will of the blades.

"Because whoever said I'm dead needs to have a nice talking to". She said as she walked over to the Noxian.

"Irelia, you died! We saw your blades and a ruby from your armour and…"

Riven was suddenly cut short by a warm feeling against her lips. Her hands gripping the blade shook, her body overtaken by surprise. They sat there for what felt like hours before Irelia backed off.

"I'm not saying that I don't trust you with that sword, but it's really unnerving me here. Do you think that you could put it down for me?"

The blade bounced against the ground several times before coming to a stop.

"I thought you were dead Irelia."

"It'll take more than just a little fire to kill me. Although the first time I see you once I get back was several seconds away from your demise, I really don't feel all too proud right now."

"I'm sorry… I just had no where else to go Irelia. You were all I had left."

"Well, I guess that won't really be a problem anymore. But right now, we really need to get you some medical care. And then you and I are going to have a talk."

Riven nodded slightly, feeling the shame after what she had just done begin to sink in.

"Yeah, I guess we will. Anyways, everyone back down there will be more than excited to see you, especially Trist and Cait. They felt like they were the reasons for your death."

Irelia flicked her wrist, and the sound of sliced wind shot up the hill as the blades returned, floating gracefully beside their master.

"Yeah, I assumed they would. People are always too quick to blame people for other's deaths. Did Ashe and Trynd make it?"

Riven could only respond with a slight shake of her head.

"That's unfortunate. Anyways, let me get Lux quickly. You start heading down, I'll be right after you."

Riven nodded and began her trek down the hill, her mind a flurry of emotions. Sadness, grief, hurt, pain, comfort, relief. Her mind fought a battle of emotions, and she wasn't even sure which one she was feeling. Her blade was snug against her back, out of mind and sight, although she didn't have plans on using it for quite a while. She shot a glance over her shoulder to see Irelia having already placed Lux down, and beginning to walk after her. Riven pointed her head down the hill, her goal in sight.


	16. Departure

**A/N: Hello everyone. I have finally returned from my vacation and I have finally managed to amass the will that I needed to write another chapter of this story. I have no excuses to give you. I've been back for two weeks, but simply put, I didn't have the will to write another chapter. Also, this chapter might be a little bit rusty, seeing as I haven't written for a month, but hopefully it's not too bad. Anyways, the authors note at the end of this chapter will not be regarding this story, so if you only want to read this story and nothing else that I write, feel free to avoid it, as it may be a little lengthy. Anyways, have a great morning/day/evening/night/youknowyoushouldn'tbeupbutyouare and take it easy**

* * *

Dirt flew behind Irelia as she scaled her way down the hill, leaving Riven behind to her thoughts. The wounded Lux floated alongside her on the bed of blades, the wind pulling her hair behind her. Her feet trampled against the steep hillside, her boots digging in to ensure that she wouldn't slip. As she looked over to Lux, the bruises on her neck were clearly visible.

"Why would she do that to you Lux?" She asked the unconscious demacian, not expecting a response. "Did you get in her way?"

Chunks of earth flew by her side, letting her know that Riven was already beginning her descent as well. Knowing that she had indeed begun her descent and not taking her own life made her feel satisfied, knowing that she had indeed saved her life. The descent was difficult and steep, but it was better than some of the hills that she had explored with her brother back Ionia. The hills and cliffs back there could take your life if you so much as moved your foot onto a wrong rock or overestimated your reaction times. There had been several cases of people who had tried to do such a thing in order to impress others or simply to get the view, and the next day, their body would be returned in a shape that not even their family members could identify as them.

"Don't lose your step Riven. It's going to hurt if you do." She yelled over her shoulder

"I didn't plan on it." The voice returned from much closer than expected. "Also, you didn't need to yell."

"Sorry. I thought you'd be further behind than you were."

All Riven returned was a shrug before they continued back down to the hill, reaching the bottom just after the sun had fully set over the hill.

They were met with a wave of responses once they made it back down the hill. Some asking why Lux was unconscious, some asking why Riven was hurt, but most asking how Irelia was alive. She merely met them with silence, and most of them got the hint to just leave her alone, for which she was grateful. The medic that she delivered both Lux and Riven too said that they could have them fixed up in a few hours. When asked why they wouldn't just let Soraka heal them and have them done in seconds, she could only respond with;

"Everyone who was inside of the institute at the time it burned down is a possible suspect for the arsonist who began this. They'll be charged on multiple cases of murder, destruction of property, the list goes on. We'll let them do their jobs once we have found out who had created the blaze."

"Shouldn't you let them do their jobs though? Isn't this just slowing down the process of healing those who were injured for no reason whatsoever?"

"Look. I don't make orders, I only follow them. If you want to ask these questions to people who might actually have answers, find someone who isn't me. I'm simply a demacian medic who was brought here because I was too close to this place after it went up. Now if you'll excuse me, I have things that I need to be doing."

The remark came off quite rude for someone of Demacian heritage, but being around this much damage and death can really get to anyone. She took a deep breath and continued her search, looking amongst the small tents and medic posts to try and find someone who could answer all of the questions she currently had to ask. She found out several small tidbits of information, such as how to get home, which she would need to talk to her situating officer and try to get it organized on how to get back home. She made her way over to a booth that was designed to find your situating officer to find your way home. It seemed terribly inefficient for it to have to work this way, but there had to be at least a sliver of logic behind it or it wouldn't happen, so she thought. But this place had taught her very well that this place doesn't always follow the best thoughts and logic. As she made her way up to the front, the 'secretary' was already ready for her with all the information that she would need to find Nick.

"Pardon my asking, Irelia. But weren't you dead merely hours ago?"

"Yeah, I guess you could say that it went something like that. Anyways, is everything I need to find Nick right on this pamphlet?"

"Yes. Just find the number next to his name and find the matching tent. He should be there."

After a quick glance at the paper and finding the number 147 next to his name, she set off in the nearly pitch black to try and find it. Around her, people ran around, trying to get the mess that had been created cleared up as fast as possible so they could all get back to their lives. After several minutes of looking, she finally found the tent with the number 147 on a sign next to the door. Walking in to the door less tent, she found Nick seated at a desk with a pile of paperwork on both sides of him.

"Oh yeah, just come on in without knocking. That's really kind of you."

"I don't really know what I'm supposed to knock on. It's a tent without a door."

"Irelia? Aren't you supposed to be busy being dead right now?"

"Not so much right now as a day ago. But right now, I'm just trying to find a way to get back to Ionia and I was told that I needed to go through you first to get back, so uh, here I am."

"It'll take so much time to get you organized to go back. I haven't even started on yours, and I have another five on the go. Do you know how hard it is to find a place for nautilus to go back to?"

"I shouldn't be that hard to get out of here should I? Throw me on a transport ship back to Ionia, stow me on board if you have to, and send me off with a wave. I'll be gone and out of here before you realize I've left."

"That would be a really good strategy, if it wasn't illegal. We need to make sure that we know where you guys are going before we send you away. It's for your own safety."

"I'm not really one for believing what anyone but I say is the truth at this point. First the games, second the burning of the institute, this third. I'm really not sure they're looking out for our well being at this point."

"Yeah, you've got a point there. Do you want to take a walk? I could use some time to cool down. I've been sitting here for too long."

"You're allowed to just stand up and take a break?"

"You're the person who wanted to illegally stow away on a boat. I'm surprised you care."

"I really don't. I just wanted to know if you had the right to do that right now."

"If anyone asks, I never left here."

"I can stand behind that."

They quickly left the tent, exiting into the damp night.

"I suspect you have a lot of questions that you want to ask me right now." Nick asked, knowing that was the reason why she agreed to go for a walk with him.

"You've got that right. First off, what was the point of those battles we took place in anyways?"

"From what I can tell, it was supposed to be a test to make sure that you were all still warriors like you were before you came and joined the league. They wanted to make sure that you hadn't given up what you had before you came here. But in reality, I think it's because they wanted to see which ones of you were threats when they heard that there was discomfort arising. But that's just my wild speculation. It's probably not the right one, but it's what my gut told me."

"So when we were in there fighting, we were fighting as ourselves. Why didn't we die when we were killed in there?"

"You didn't die out here because only your mind went in. Now, of course your body shook wildly when you died in there after stabbing yourself and plummeting, but it didn't do any real physical damage."

"They were threading on this ice with that. I can see why people would get angry enough to burn down the institute."

"Yeah, but don't let anyone else hear you saying that. You can get into some trouble if the right person hears that."

"I really don't care what people here think of me anymore. I just want to go home. Really badly."

"Yeah, I can tell. And I'm going to try and get you home as fast as I can, but I can only make the process go so quickly."

"Oh I know. But if you can do anything to make it go faster, I'd make sure to repay you."

"I'll try. I don't want you stuck back here anymore than you do. But like I said, I can only do so much."

The wind brushed against them, shooing off the small bugs that whizzed around them, their buzzing noises not missed.

"Also, out of everyone who could have freed me, why was it Katarina, of all people?"

"How did she free you? What are you talking about?"

"When the fire broke out and everyone began running, I yelled at my door for someone to help me out, and it was Katarina who broke open the door for me. The Noxian wing was across the hall and to the other end. Why was she up here?"

"The Demacians are to your left. She and Garen had something going I think. I'm not quite sure and I really don't quite care, but that's probably where she came from."

She was saved because Katarina broke the rules. That didn't explain why she'd open a door for an Ionian, a natural enemy, but she wasn't one to complain.

"Anyways, I'm glad I could answer your questions. I've got to head back, fill out some more paperwork and try to get you guys home. I'll try to have you out by tomorrow afternoon, but I'm not guaranteeing anything to you right now, you got me?"

"Oh yeah, I got you. Just please try to get me out of here as soon as you can. I don't care if you have to show a blind eye to some rules or play stupid, just get me out of here."

"Don't worry; you won't see another sunset here."

And with that, he was gone. Leaving her alone in the calm chaos that existed here.

* * *

Irelia had managed to find somewhere that she could lay her head for the night, and once she had awoken, it was already nearing noon. She sat up, and looked at where she had slept. Delicate designs of Ionian making lined the walls of the tent, small windows of thin fabric made makeshift windows, letting the light in. Ahead of her sat Riven, who glanced out of the door, lost in a series of painkillers and thoughts.

"Good morning Irelia. Did you sleep well last night?"

"It was probably the best one I've had since I got here. I guess almost dying can really exhaust you huh?"

Riven let a small chuckle leave her lips before she placed her hand to her chest.

"Don't make me laugh. I'm not sure these stitches are going to hold out that well, and I want to keep them in as long as I can."

"You must've cut pretty deep in huh? I still don't even know why you'd kill yourself for me. Didn't Lux try to convince you otherwise?" Her train of thought caught on as she said that. "She did try to stop you, didn't she? That's why you knocked her out. She was threatening to stop you."

A small voice came from behind her, causing her to shoot across the tent and looking at the source of the voice.

"You catch on fast Irey. I'm pretty proud of you. And yeah, that is what I tried to do. Riven is pretty strong you know?"

"My god Lux. Did you really have to do that?" She asked between deep breaths and small chuckles. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

"You're too much of a trooper to die to a little boo aren't you?"

"Hey, I'm only human. I still die. Just not that easily." She said as she recovered her breath. "Anyways, how are you guys doing with the getting home situation? I think I'm heading home this evening I think, that is if Nick can get it all set up."

"I'm not even sure where I'm headed after this. My situating officer has me at the bottom of the list right now. She says that there's nowhere that I can go right now, but she'll work on it sometime. She has to get me out of here eventually. Maybe I can talk my way into letting somewhere temporarily so that I can return to my life of wandering."

"You're always welcome with us in Ionia. We'll accept you instantly. Just ask Karma for the recommendation and you might be able to get on the same boat with me."

"I'm not so sure you guys will just accept a Noxian into Ionia just because I'm friends with someone who lives there." A quick glare from Lux made her rephrase her sentence. "More than friends with someone who lives there. Is that better Lux?"

"Yeah, I'll say that's about right. Anyways, I'm heading back to Demacia I believe. But I've been talking to my situating officer and I might be headed over to Ionia. See if I can talk my way over."

"See Riven? Lux isn't afraid to ask for permission."

"Maybe I'll go give it a shot." She gave a quick glare to Lux. "Don't you try anything. I have ways of finding things out."

"Ways like looking sitting right outside the tent and listening to us for a few minutes before taking off?"

"A true professional never gives away their secrets." Chuckled Riven as she stood up with her hand on her chest. "And I'm a professional."

"And I'm a goat. Now shoo. Get out. You've got some running around to do." Joked Lux as she made shooing actions with her hands.

"We can argue about that one Lux."

"Bite me Riven."

Riven gave a quick smirk before she stood up, poked her head out of the tent for a few moments and took off.

"When did you too start to get along so well Lux? She knocked you out, you too are fighting over me, and you're still getting along like you've been friends since you were kids. How did that all work out exactly?"

"We're not fighting over you Irey. You could just say I'm waiting my turn. Anyways, I've got to get packed. I'm leaving on a boat this afternoon with you, so we'd better get ready. Get all the arrangements done and all that fun stuff."

"Yeah, I suppose." She nodded her head towards the door. "You go first."

"You just want to check me out Irey. But it's fine. I really don't mind. Take as long a look as you want."

"Get moving" she said as serious as she could, but she could tell that her voice wasn't even remotely so.

She had to admit though, the girl did have a rather nice figure, as she couldn't help but check out the small Demacians figure as she left the tent, which Lux apparently caught.

"You're so sick Irey. What if I was to tell Riven about this? How do you think she'd feel huh?" Lux shot back with a smile that couldn't help but make you feel good.

"Do you want to try that Lux? I think I can outrun you pretty heavily."

"You're only trying to check me out Irey, I can tell."

"Yeah, yeah. Anyways, let's go try to find a way out of here. I want to sleep on my own bed soon.

* * *

It was hours later after they had left the tent that they were ready to leave. They had filled out all the paperwork, said all their thanks and waited for the boat. But it had arrived and they were ready to depart. The boat was strong and sturdy. That was what was expected of an Ionian cruise vessel. It was currently just patrolling around, showing the middle class of Demacia what the world had to offer. But once it had heard of the disaster that had occurred, they immediately responded, and as fate had it, they were nearby. Only the trio had boarded this boat to Ionia, as the others were still clogged up in paperwork hell. Once on board, they were greeted with war smiles and kindness, the stuff that you would expect from most Demacians. They all lived on different floors and lived rather far apart, but that wouldn't really matter much anyways. They were expecting two days worth of travel before they were to arrive back in Ionia, which was actually pretty good. The first night had passed through rather uneventfully, though Riven and Irelia got the pleasure of seeing what happened once Lux had drunk far more than she should have, and nearly ran off the boat on accident. Though during mid day the next day, as they were only several hours away from shore, their situation rapidly deteriorated.

The trio was on the top of the boat, talking and relaxing over a few cold Ionian drinks, someone who was against the side of the boat pointed out at something on the water, which they couldn't dare to resist looking at. As they came to the side, they noticed a fleet of Bildgewater boats headed towards them. From what Irelia could tell, there were around a dozen of them. Although they were not large boats and they cruise vessel was armed with defence systems, they were known to be fearless. And a large, rich Demacian cruiser vessel alone in deep waters was simply too tempting to pass up. The boat quickly turned away in hopes of outrunning them. But the small ships were too fast to outrun, and the alarms were sound. Irelia beckoned her blades from the lower deck, commanding them back to her. Lux and Riven were not so lucky, as they couldn't simply beckon their blade and wand back to them. Irelia's blades shot out from the hallway and back to her, sensing her fear. The sounds of cannons soon filled their ears as both the cruiser vessel and the pirates began to exchange fire. Riven recommended that they go and grab their weapons, but they knew better. If they were below decks and the pirates landed a nice enough shot into the bottom of the ship, it would capsize too fast for them to get back up. They were unarmed for this fight.

"Everybody get to the lifeboats!" Came multiple voices as everyone fled towards the lifeboats, pushing and shoving others to get there first.

Suddenly, a metal hook attached to a rope shot up the side and grabbed a man by the side of his stomach, before proceeding to rip the chunk out of him, tearing several ribs and organs out of his, the remaining contents proceeding to spill out of him and onto the deck and the hook plummeted back towards the water. Several more shot up, connecting onto the boat successfully. Irelia beckoned her allies backwards and towards the lifeboats, but she knew the reality.

No one was leaving unless they won.

Soon, Demacian soldiers swarmed onto the deck, beckoning the civilians, Lux and Riven below decks. They asked Irelia to go as well, but she refused.

The first wave of pirates made it up the side, but they were merely stabbed as soon as their heads made it level with the boat. They were not making such a rookie mistake as to just let them climb the boat. After two waves, they stopped this strategy and instead, chucked up a wave of explosives, ripping chunks out of the boat and launching demacian limbs around, screams of agony filling the air. The pirates quickly made their way up and won solidly. The rusty demacian guards provided no challenge to the battle trained and desperate pirates. Irelia fought with renewed vigour, but it accomplished nothing. Her blades that could paint the air with blood provided nothing against the pirates pistols, and she was quickly surrounded with only several Demacian soldiers left standing.

"If you can just drop your weapons and bite this here bullet for us, we can get our jobs done way faster. Don't make it harder for us. First off, we ask that you all drop your weapons and line up side by side here, maybe we can kill more of you with one bullet if you do that." The pirate spoke, infuriating the survivors. They'd rather die with honour than die as prisoners. "That pretty girl's blade. Think that you could grab that for me?" Asked the pirate to one of his lackeys, who hesitantly obeyed, He had seen the power of the blade in action, and was in no way excited to do so. But he knew that if he didn't, he'd be dead. He placed his hands on the blades and pulled them away from Irelia, who merely stared him in the eyes as he backed away. Just before he could hand them over, they reacted, slicing the pirate into slices before he had time to be afraid. His chunks collapsed to the ground, joining the bodies and pieces of his friends and enemies. Irelia fought back in one last, desperate assault, hoping to bring down enough of them to make an escape. But just as she prepared her blades to attack, the feeling of Demacian armour dropped her to the ground, her body unconscious.

* * *

**Alright guys, in regards to what I said earlier, I plan on writing another story here, just so that If I get blocked in one, I can always write in the other until the writers block fades. So I'm thinking about either writing another LOL fic, an attack on titan fic or a dead space fic. I'm not quite sure which one yet, so if you guys want to voice your opinions on those. If you pick the LOL fic, let me know what you want me to ship. I do MxF and FxF, but not MxM, so sorry if that affects you. Also, I plan on adding OC's into any of those stories. So I'll give you guys a couple of days to pick which one you want me to write, and if no one votes, I'll just choose myself. The LOL one is kinda iffy for me, seeing as I'm already writing one right now, but I digress. What will happen is once you chose, I will leave a kind of guideline for what you guys can chose for your OC to be like. I'll make it as extensive as possible, and try to capture as many details as I can. Afterwards, once your OC is in, we can keep communication if you wish to make a request to a character, ask me how you want a character to pan out, yadada. I want to try and interact with those who read my stories, because if I didn't, I would just keep it on my computer in a folder and never touch it again. It's you guys that keep me even wanting to write this. It's not that I don't like it, its just the reward that I get for writing if you know what I mean. So anyways, let me know what you guys think, and if you are interested. Leave it in a review or send me a PM. Thank you for your time reading this, and I hope you enjoyed. **


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